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Percy Coleman Field 



Four Dude Hunters 



Percy Coleman Field 



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TO MY FRIENDS WHO WOULD RATHER GO 
HUNTING AND FISHING— 



JUL ~S 1918 

©aA501082 

COPYRIGHT, 1918, 
By 

Percy Coleman Field. ^~ 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS 

CHAPTER I. 

Wednesday, August the twenty-second, nineteen hundred 
and seventeen, was as hot in Kansas City as it might be 
expected to be anywhere, excepting possibly that place 
often described on Sunday by a class of men, who generally 
wear long faces and equally long black coats, as the just 
reward for the evil-doer. In fact, considerably too warm 
for a strong, healthy person, who could enjoy a game of 
golf, to work in the city; yet, enough sunshine, as the golf 
wags put it, ''to make the sap flow freely." 

Shortly after lunch on this particular day, there was a 
large motor car speeding along the winding road in Jackson 
county, which leads from Kansas City, Missouri, to Hill- 
crest Country Club. The car was operated by a pleasant 
looking chauffeur. In its well upholstered tonneau two men 
very close to thirty-five years of age were seated. They 
were dressed in fresh suits of palm beach clothes ; and, in 
addition to their fresh linens, one of them, a wiry specimen 
of manhood of good height and weight, wore a cigar with a 
gold band about it ; while the other, a dark complexioned 
plump fellow, tall enough to be considered lanky, had it 
not been for his plumpness — which might be called corpu- 
lency — wore a Missouri meerschaum, with an amber stem 
and a brass band about its muzzle. These two young men 
were feeling very good toward one another, and the world : 
they were healthy and happy. As the car rolled on toward 
their ultimate goal they laughed and talked with each other 
very much as young men, carefree and with nothing imme- 
diately before them excepting a game of golf, usually would ; 
yet, for some reason or other, the dark complexioned young 
man took a long puff at his meerschaum, paused, turned to 
look out into a wooded country to his left, and there for a 
few moments gazed steadfastly. 

'T hope you are not bored with your company, Percy?" 
urged his friend, Mr. William G. Dilts, Jr., who, by his 
good fellowship, was always spoken of as Bill. 



4 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

"Bored, my dear boy ? Bored ! Oh, no. I am charmed, 
yet," said Percy C. Field, a lawyer of Kansas City. ''Bill! 
Did you hear that?" 

"What?" asked Bill, looking mightily like we had a 
puncture. 

"Oh, no," said Percy, smiling, "it is not a puncture or 
anything, it is the call of the wild. My dear friend, excuse 
me and my fancy — when I look out into the woods, I can't 
help, at this time of the year, to hear something calling: it 
is the call of the wild. Think of it! The twenty-second 
day of August — the courts are all practically closed. I 
have had to remain to wind up some personal business, but 
next week, and thank goodness for that, I leave for North- 
ern Michigan. A golf course is up there. The air is de- 
lightfully cool and refreshing. It is a wonderful country. 
Come and go with me." 

"I thought you had a call for the wild?" questioned Bill 
smiling, as he took a puff at his cigar. 

"I did, and that is why I do not look forward to my 
Michigan trip this year. Business has demanded that I be 
here in Kansas City a few days too long this year. I missed 
a trip in the wilds of Minnesota — canoeing, swimming, fish- 
ing; fishing and the catching of big fish; camping and 
roughing it, so I thought I would compromise with a few 
weeks of golf. Come and go with me, my dear friend, and 
we shall have some exciting games." 

"Percy !" spoke Bill earnestly and enthusiastically, "if you 
love nature and can enjoy a real wilderness, come with me. 
I leave Friday, the twenty- fourth, for the Rocky Moun- 
tains. In the course of a few days' travel and a week's 
pack on horses and mules over the mountains, we shall come 
into the greatest of all wild places. There, perhaps, a 
hundred miles from civilization and the railroads, we shall 
hunt and fish. We shall hunt bull elk; and perhaps see a 
mountain lion, a grizzly bear; deer of all sorts; and hunt 
mountain sheep ; and a great many other kinds of big game. 
We shall camp in the snowy peaks. Say you will go. I 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 5 

shall then wire my friend at Cody, Wyoming — the old 
home of Buffalo Bill — to engage a guide for you. Every- 
thing will be in readiness, and shall await your pleasure. 
Percy, it is just the trip for you. You will not have hay 
fever there. You may never have another such opportunity, 
and — it is just the thing for your health. Say the word 
now, and I'll send the wire by 'phone from the club house." 

"All of that sounds good to me, Bill, but let me think of 
it a minute or so. Let me see. How far do we go? How 
long does it take?" Percy meditated. ''Are you going to 
make this trip alone?" 

"Of course not ! You are going. Then there is my 
friend Floyd, and a friend of Floyd's, Joe ; Joe McCandless. 
They are both fine fellows. You will enjoy every minute 
you spend with them. Floyd — Floyd Hippie is his name, 
and he is in the grain business at Hutchinson, Kansas ; and 
Joe, well, Joe is an up-to-date farmer. The two of them 
are the best of company. We have been planning this trip 
for a long time. Well, this is your luck, Percy. Here we 
have figured out everything, written all sorts of letters 
inquiring about this and that ; and now everything is await- 
ing your pleasure. Say the word, my dear friend, and it is 
all yours to see and to enjoy." 

As the car pulled up at Hillcrest Country Club one of 
the young men was deep in thought. He had a very im- 
portant golf game on. He was next to the runner-up in a 
summer championship. He dearly enjoyed the game, and 
especially a game with his friend Bill, but he had again 
heard the call of the wild. It was sounding loudly. As he 
dressed for golf he dreamed of the mountains and of the 
big game. 

"Come on, Percy, and let us play this game, and then I'll 
send the wire. Or shall I send it now?" asked Bill, in full 
golf attire, as he approached the locker of Percy. 

"What? Can't find a shirt? Here! Permit me to lend 
you this one of mine. I've just brought out a number of 
clean ones." 



6 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

"Thank you, Bill. Oh, yes, I can wear it by leaving the 
top button apart. It is a little snug, yet I feel mighty lucky 
to have the extra shirt. I thought to bring some out this 
morning, before breakfast, but it slipped my mind. All 
right, I am ready. Come on." 

The two went out to number one tee and drove. Percy 
played four straight pars, and one hole below par. At the 
end of the first nine, Percy had Bill four down and nine to 
play. 

*Tercy," said Bill, jokingly, after Percy had driven 
straight down the course nearly three hundred yards, '4f I 
win this game will you go with me to the mountains?" 

''Will I go with you? May I go if I lose?" said Percy, 
realizing that there could be as many a slip in golf as 
''between cup and lip." 

"Why, of course. Say the word now ! I will beat you 
today and perhaps you will have more luck hunting," cried 
Bill joyfully. 

"All right, I'll go," Percy replied slowly. 

Bill smiled and walked over to shake hands with his 
companion. He appeared to be thinking more of the deci- 
sion of his friend than the game; nevertheless, he teed his 
ball, and struck at it with a careless disregard for its 
destination. The ball was hit squarely, the stroke beauti- 
fully executed with a precise follow through. The ball 
didn't stop going until it was even with that of his opponent. 
Bill continued to play golf as he never played before, while 
Percy heard the call of the wild to the tune of two down and 
one to play. 

"And such is life: the best part about it," said Percy, as 
they walked to the club house after he had congratulated 
Bill, "for when you are down, and a long ways down, 
there's always a chance to. get up again." 

"Yes, there is always a chance in everything : when you 
are about to win you often lose ; and when you are about 
to lose, you often win." 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 7 

"It was a fine game, Bill," urged Percy as they played 
the much relished nineteenth hole, enjoying a cold bottle of 

root beer. 

"Yes, it was. The next time I want to beat a big fellow 
in hot weather, I am going to lend him one of my shirts. 
Ha, ha; I didn't do it on purpose, Percy, but after we 
reached the tenth hole you got to sweating, ami the shirt 
got to sticking to you, and you almost did a midway dance 
each time before hitting the ball — the shirt stuck to you, and 
you didn't have a free swing through— why, that's how I 
came to beat you." 

"Oh," laughed Percy, "that's the spirit. Beat a fellow 
and then furnish him with an alibi. But I now say, 'be that 
as it may,' tell me more about the big game we are going to 
play in the Rocky Mountains — I believe you said it was 
somewhere in Wyoming?" 

After a refreshing drink, a cool shower and fresh linens 
the two young men were again seated comfortably in the car, 
which was speeding for Kansas City. Bill was talking most 
interestingly. Percy at times held his breath and occasion- 
ally his eyes would grow large and round. 

"And that shall be our trip?" added Percy, with the keen- 
est anticipation, "and we start Friday?" 

"Friday at six p. m. I shall order a duplication of 
everything I have for you. I took the sizes of your shoes 
and clothes from your golf clothes and shoes. The Arms 
Company will fit yo-u out the same as I have been fitted out 
by them, with a rifle and such ammunition as you will need, 
and everything. I want you thoroughly prepared, for you 
might come face to face with a great big grizzly bear, or a 
mountain lion, or God knows what, and I want my friend 
to have a fair chance to come back." 

"That's very kind of you, Bill. All right; I'll take that 
chance," added Percy, jocularly. 

"Remember," insisted Bill, "it is Friday, at six p. m. 
Wind up your business for six weeks — and you might make 
out your will." 



8 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

''AH in a day and a half?" interrupted Percy. 

''And explain the matter to your wife. Friday, on the 
twenty-fourth day of August, you will leave with me. You'll 
be gone for six weeks. You will go into a far and distant 
country. There you cannot even write to your wife or 
friends, or receive letters from them, but there, my dear 
boy, you can answer the call of the wilds to your heart's 
content; or the call of a coyote or whatever might happen 
to be calling you out there, from a grizzly bear down to a 
chipmunk." 

"All right, Bill," added Percy. 

Yet such a thing was not so simple for Percy. I dare 
say that he would have approached the Bar of Justice, with 
the most guilty culprit to defend, rather than his dear wife, 
with the suggestions that he believed it would be best for 
his health to leave Kansas City entirely and go to a place a 
hundred miles or so from any form of civilization. Bill 
had accomplished this undertaking, and, as Bill had, Percy 
took courage. 



CHAPTER 11. 

Friday, August the twenty-fourth, a few minutes before 
six o'clock, a number of young folk approached the west- 
bound Burlington train. Two of the young women of the 
party had fitted themselves so snugly in the arms of their 
escorts that their arrival at the Pullman entrance caused 
the porter to smile from ear to ear, doubtless anticipating 
a double honeymoon. He hurriedly gathered up the hand 
baggage of the men and took it away to a stateroom. Yet a 
casual observance of the faces of the young women would 
have revealed a more somber shade of life. 

"All abode!" shouted the porter, a yellow, freckle-faced 
individual, whose dream of a double honeymoon had almost 
vanished. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 9 

Percy kissed dearie again, and said *'Goodby." 

He boarded the car and found that Bill had again put one 
over on him, by removing the screen from the window of 
the car, and was just in the act of being separated from 
his dearie by the motion of the train. 

"Be careful, Bill!" urged Percy. ''Remember what 
happened to the cow a mile down the track when once a 
newlywed kissed his bride in just such a way?" 

So it was, goodby, dearies; goodby, Kansas City; good- 
by, friends of ours ! We shall call upon you within six 
weeks, but until then, fare thee well. 

As the train sped on its way we talked, and read, and 
talked and read, stretched and smoked, and talked and 
read some more ; dined, and talked and read some more. 
The hour had grown late and the shades of night had 
fallen. 

"Percy, try one of these cigars," urged Bill, as he ex- 
tended a fine looking cigar. 

"Thanks, Bill, thanks ! I prefer my old companion here," 
smiled Percy, as he produced his old battle-worn meer- 
schaum. 

"Percy," said Bill, after thinking seriously about some- 
thing and blowing a volume of smoke into the upper berth 
of the state room, "we are going into a wild country : did 
you make out your will?" 

"No; never thought of it. Yet, why?" 

"Oh, nothing particular, excepting a fellow like you is 
just fat enough to make a good meal for a grizzly bear — too 
fat to run in a high altitude; and, of course," smiled Bill, "I 
don't know whether you can shoot a gun or climb a tree." 

"You don't!" laughed Percy, and then he took a puff at 
his pipe. 

"Well, I'll admit I can't climb a tree; or at least never 
had to. I am wilHng to take my chances with the wild 
things of the forest — and right here, I want to dare any old 
grizzly bear to cross my path." 



10 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

"And I'll extend that dare to all the wild things in 
Wyoming," added Bill. 

*'Yes, gents," smiled the Pullman porter, "if you will let 
me now, I shall make up the beds and you can be in the 
sweet land of dreams." 

Bill and I then went to the other end of the train, and 
awaited the making up of our berths. Upon returning we 
went to bed for the night. 



CHAPTER III. 

August the twenty- 
sixth, nineteen 
seventeen. 

The Burlington train on which the two young men were 
passengers had been rocking along at a monotonous speed 
since Friday, the twenty-fourth ; and while they enjoyed all 
of the comforts of travel, they were mighty glad to be ad- 
vised by the porter that they were to prepare themselves 
for Billings, Montana. 

"Yes, sah, this hea' am BuUens," proclaimed the yellow- 
faced fellow, with a laugh in harmony with the jingle of 
two reasonably good sized coins he had just procured. 

The two young men stepped off the train eagerly. They 
were anxious to stand upon such a Western spot and 
breathe the fresh air of the West. This they did. 

After canvassing the town, as to the best place to eat a 
large breakfast, and after finding the principal hotel still 
closed for the night, Percy and Bill placed their knees under 
a table in a restaurant and enjoyed the fat of the land to 
the extent of grape-fruit, oatmeal, ham and eggs, toast, 
coffee and wheat cakes. 

"Well," said Percy, as he expanded himself in proportion 
to the breakfast he had just eaten, and struck a match to 
his pipe, "that should hold us until dinner time, anyway." 

Shortly afterwards Bill and Percy boarded a shabby train 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 11 

with several wheels long worn flat. They bounced along 
over the prairie country until they reached Frantic. When 
the young men had finished taking a good look at that town 
they decided that it had been well named, and soon as possi- 
ble they boarded another ''flat-wheeler" for Cody, Wyoming. 

We passed through a great expanse of country. There 
appeared a number of green spots — irrigated farming was 
fast turning the wilderness into a veritable paradise. In 
the distance we could see the Rocky Mountains. 

"The country is growing more interesting in the dis- 
tance," said Bill; 'T wonder what sort of game live in 
those mountains now?" 

'T understand we are to see, and right shortly. Isn't 
that Cody across the river?" 

The train rattled up to the station about a mile or so from 
what appeared to be a collection of buildings, which were 
upon the townsite of Cody, Wyoming. 

"Cody !" shouted a leather-voiced brakeman. 

I looked out of the car window. I saw three anxious- 
looking individuals and a few other people. The anxious- 
looking young men were close to thirty-five years of age. A 
plump sort of a fellow, about five feet ten inches tall, with 
large blue eyes, and a florid complexion, looked a little un- 
natural in his high Stetson hat ; while another, a well-built, 
black-haired, soldierly young man, not yet thirty-one years 
of age, with keen black eyes, wore a soldier's uniform. 
While the third, a well-sized young man, appeared to have 
relaxed into the ways of the West, and yet a critical exam- 
ination would reveal that he too, still possessed a trait of 
the East. The three young men got on the car. 

"Well! My friends! Floyd and Joe," shouted Bill, as he 
caught their extended hands. 

"And this is my friend Percy," exclaimed Floyd. 

"Yes, Floyd and Joe, meet Percy Field." Floyd and Joe 
grasped the hands of their friend, Percy, as they turned to 
meet another genial sort of fellow. 

"Percy and Bill, this is our friend, and your guide. Bill ; 



12 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

this is Hal — Hal Evards," and everybody shook Hal's hand, 
and we blocked the doorway so that the other two passengers 
had to go out the back way. On becoming so well acquainted 
we all got into Hal's automobile and started for Cody and 
The Irma Hotel. 



CHAPTER IV. 

We arrive at The Irma Hotel. Our trunks are sent to 
us there a little later. We are booked for dinner. 

This hotel is maintained by a daughter of Buffalo Bill — his 
daughter Irma, a comfortable looking woman of possibly, 
shall I say thirty summers, for the daughter of Buffalo Bill ? 
At any rate, however, as she has almost passed the age to 
play the part of an extremely youthful heroine in literature, 
I shall have to leave her to preside, and preside with dignity, 
too, over The Irma Hotel. 

This hotel is located on the corner of two of the principal 
streets of Cody. It is a commodious two-story frame edi- 
fice built in keeping with the town, yet a little better than 
the town could have had had it not been for its namesake, 
the Honorable Colonel William Cody. On the south side, 
and immediately abutting upon the street, is a large porch, 
where, during good weather, a great many hunting stories 
may be heard ; while on the other side, a shoe stand and 
The Irma Bar. 

The walls, desk and almost every available space in the 
hotel and bar, and in fact the entire town of Cody, are 
decorated with pictures of the Honorable Mr. Colonel 
William Cody. The walls of The Irma particularly abound 
with his pictures. There you can see pictures of the 
Honorable Mr. Colonel William Cody as a young man ; an 
Indian fighter ; a middle-aged man ; the pictures of him as 
a man late in life ; a writer ; a show man ; a conqueror of the 
prairie ; and a picture in a pose denoting almost every other 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 13 

kind of a Western hero. What little wall space there re- 
mains is covered with game trophies. 

We strangers from the East had dinner and spent some 
time in studying the pictures and trophies. 

*'Thereare some fine trophies in thebarroom," suggested Hal. 

We then went to the barroom of The Irma Hotel. It 
is one of easy access to both the outside world and the 
hotel. I counted four entrances to it. From the size of 
the crowd that patronized the place, I could readily under- 
stand the necessity for the number of doors ; and from 
some of the patrons, why the large front and back doors. 

Of course, while enjoying the various works of art on 
the walls, and game trophies, it occurred to one of our 
party that our space required the purchase of some token 
of affection, such as a drink of some sort ; and, as the crowd 
was composed of two very temperate young men from 
Kansas City and two equally as temperate from the pro- 
hibition state of Kansas, it can be easily imagined what we 
had to drink. 

"You dudes," shouted Hal, "had better stop your drinking 
lemonade, soda pop and such, and go and pack your war 
bags. We have a long trip before us, and the boys at the 
ranch are impatiently awaiting your arrival," interrupting 
a discussion over the bar of the largest bull elk ever killed 
in the mountains. 

"War bags, what are they?" inquired one of the dudes. 
"And what was that prettj^ little name you called your 
newly made friends, Hal?" asked Percy, as he finished his 
lemonade. 

"Dudes," added Hal with a smile. "Dudes, that's what 
you will be called out here. In Montana they, the natives, 
call the hunters sports ; here we have another name — 
dudes. In fact, to be a dude out here isn't so bad; and, 
rather than dub you tenderfoot, or sport, we folks out here 
in Wyoming just call you dudes — we call the lady hunters, 
dudines ; and your party, a dude party, and the guides, dude 
wranglers." 



14 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

"And we tough-looking, rough-looking boys — in fact, I 
am inclined to say ornery looking individuals — are to be 
known as dudes? What a pleasure it is to know ourselves 
as others appreciate us," spoke one of the dudes, conclud- 
ing: ''Hal, my dear friend Hal, can a dude buy a drink of 
— now, let's see, what is a dude supposed to buy ?" 

The dude was informed that that privilege still remained, 
and was almost expected. In fact, he was expected not only 
by the bartender and flies — and here I mean, to buy for the 
bartender and to buy for the flies or hangers-on. So it was 
that the dude who suggested, out loud, and, as I remember 
it, it wasn't so loud, either, was given a chance to buy ; and 
to make quite an extravagant purchase, too, for it appeared 
that he was the box agent at a circus, which had been well 
advertised, from the number who gathered around him. 

The dudes, however, were well pleased with the venture, 
as it brought so many of the hangers-on out from the walls 
that it gave a better view of the trophies and pictures of 
the Honorable Mr. Colonel William Cody. 

**Say, if you dudes don't hurry, we'll be caught in the 
dark — of course, it is all right with me, but I am anxious to 
get started. You know we have a thirty-mile drive ahead 
of us — up the Shoshone Canon — and you dudes had better 
pack your war bags," repeated Hal, seriously. 

'Tack our war bags for thirty miles up the canyon?" in- 
terrupted one of the dudes. 

"Oh, no," added another, analyzing the situation pains- 
takingly, and without any need; "you see, my dear dude, 
you pack your war bag and put the bag in the car, and then 
the car packs you and your war bag, see ! Precisely so." 

"Of course," laughed another dude, as he stepped to one 
side and permitted a rough sort of an individual to get up 
close to the bar. 

"Yes; and certainly you see," he interrupted, and added, 
wobbling slightly: "Let us have a-n-o-t-h-e-r, and another. 
Let the car pack the war bag. Ha, ha ! Let the car pack 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 15 

the war bag ! It can do it as well as a mule, and Gawd knows 
a mule can. Say, Steve!" said our newly made friend, as 
he called a thirsty-looking person. "Want to ask you a 
question; hick-up, hick! Can a mule pack a war bag?" 
Steve didn't seem to care as much about packing a war bag 
as a drink, and quite aptly ended the argument by suggest- 
ing that he thought his friend was going to buy a drink. 

''Here, Mister Bartender!" Our newly made friend 
pounded on the bar for an audience. '''My dude friends, and 
a roughneck," pointing to Steve, "and myself want a drink. 
If you are damn quick about it you might take two your- 
self — the quick-er I get you drunk the cheaper it will be for 
me, and my dude friends — so., gentlemen, roughnecks and 
dudes, what will yer pleasure be?" 

The dudes suggested that they would take the same as 
before. The hospitable stranger told the bartender that he 
would have WHISKEY, with a thump on the bar that 
almost bounced the glasses off of the bar, and the nose of 
the bartender, while the other friends suggested unmistak- 
ably that they would take the same. They poured it out of 
the bottle themselves until their glasses were full to the brim 
at twenty-five cents per glass. 

"For the love of Gawd ! You are a queer lot of dudes !" 
our new host added in astonishment, as he drank with one 
swallow his little needed drink and surveyed the soft 
drinks of the dudes. 

"Say, stranger," put in Joe, after Hal had made another 
suggestion, "we have to go now," and with a smile, "If we 
don't see you again — well, when we meet you, it will be 
soon enough. Good-by." 

The dudes hurried away to pack their war bags. There 
was the neatly packed trunk of Bill and the neatly packed 
trunk of Percy. Their wives had packed these trunks, oh 
so neatly. Everything was in its proper place. It would 
be a shame to destroy the neatness of these trunks ; yet Bill 
and Percy were in a hurry. They had been urged to hasten 
any number of times by Hal. They opened their trunks 



16 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

and took out their hunting clothes and put them on. As 
these war bags were to be carried on the backs of mules, 
and their contents would be thoroughly mixed by the move- 
ment of the mules, Joe held the war bag of Percy open, and 
Percy picked up the tray of the trunk and poured every- 
thing which was in the tray into the war bag, and in like 
manner picked up the trunk and emptied it into the war 
bag. His citizen clothes were then carefully folded and 
placed in the trunk and the trunk locked. It was then 
ready to be carried to the trunk room of The Irma, where 
it would remain for the next month. After doing this, 
Percy sat down on his war bag and lit his pipe and smoked. 
Bill had just started packing his war bag. He was wonder- 
ing where he could put his various necessities, when Hal 
told him that it would take about forty mules to carry his 
outfit into the mountains. The two. Bill and Hal, then 
sorted his necessities, which were far less than Bill had 
thought, and put them in the war bag of Bill. 

"Aren't you dudes ever going to get your war bags 
packed?" asked Percy, as he calmly smoked his pipe, add- 
ing between puffs that he supposed as the guide was in such 
a rush he expected the dudes had better pack their war bags 
downstairs. Floyd, Joe and Percy, and in the course of a 
short time. Bill, swung their war bags over their shoulders 
and started downstairs. 

When Percy reached the first floor, he was met by his 
newly made friend, who had bought a drink for practically 
all of Cody and the dudes. 

'1 say," sputtered this friendly fellow, as he placed his 
hand upon the shoulder of Percy, ''shall w^ have another 
drink before you go? Or shall we have several? It will 
make the long ride easier, and your nerve a trifle steadier. 
Say, boy, don't you know you are out where the West really 
begins? Come on!" he added, giving Percy a friendly 
nudge. 

"Oh, come on ! Percy. Bid your friend good-by," shouted 
Hal. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 17 

"Now, aren't you the dude?" added the thirsty one, 
squinting through a pair of bleared eyes, slightly unsteady 
on his feet. "Well, if I were the dude, I'd tell that smart 
chap to go to hell. Come on ! Let us have a-n-o-t-h-e-r !" 
Percy thanked him for his generosity and stepped out of 
the door and into the car. 

Joe was stopped by the same individual, and Bill and 
Floyd, and in this way all of the dudes were tempted by 
the greatest enemy of the West. 

The people of The Irma Hotel came out onto the porch 
to bid the dudes farewell. We shouted them a fond adieu 
as we drove away. 



CHAPTER V. 

We turned the car around and drove up Main street. On 
our way we were hailed by a messenger, who ran out from 
the curb. He informed Hal that we had broken a spring. 
We stopped. The mechanics of Cody gave a hand. They 
brought out from a garage a clamp which they put on the 
spring. This clamp was a temporary repair, yet it held the 
leaves of the spring secure. While this mechanical work 
was being done, the dudes thought of something they wanted 
and went to the drug store. 

"I think I want to take another fishing pole with me," 
spoke Floyd, as he interrupted a pleasant man, the proprie- 
tor of the store whom everybody appeared to know by the 
name of "Doc," and whom we rather envied for his fishing 
experiences. 

"A what?" shouted dude Bill, peevishly. "A what? 
Surely, my dear Floyd, such a sport as you are will not dub 
the fishing rod with so common a name." 

"Oh, no, far be it from me to do such a thing as that," 
replied Floyd afifectedly, "but I must confess that the lan- 
guage of my youth still remains a part of me, and while I 



18 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

enjoy fishing and hunting and sporting around with you 
dudes, pardon me if I do not use the proper lingo, my dear 
Bill — now, what is it that I want?" 

Bill said something about a fishing rod, while Percy sug- 
gested that Floyd could use one of his ; and Doc, not par- 
ticularly enjoying the idea of Percy permitting Floyd to 
use his fishing rod, turned on the victrola, which presented 
a full jazz band on parade. Bill, of course, was fond of 
music and a jazz band and decided that we should take the 
victrola with us so that we could have the jazz band in the 
far away mountains ; and Doc, not having sold the extra 
fishing rod, didn't think it would be a bad idea. Bill was 
just in the act of buying the victrola and all of the records 
necessary for our pleasure, when he was reminded that 
everything we took with us had to be carried on the backs 
of horses and mules, and that, perhaps, under all circum- 
stances, we could get along just as well without the jazz 
band and the victrola. 

"Let us have an ice cream soda,'' cried Floyd, "it may 
be the last one we will have for some time." The invita- 
tion was accepted by all of the dudes and Hal believed he 
would take, what he called, a double sundae. 

By this time a cold rain had begun to fall. The road was 
getting slick, yet away went the motor car and the dudes 
on a most perilous ride. 

"What is the river, Hal?" shouted Percy. 

"The Shoshone — Big Stinkum, as the Indians called it." 
When we dudes got a whiff of its sulphurous odor we could 
quite readily understand why it had been so named by the 
Indians. 

The motor car proceeded to toboggan down a hill which 
the dudes thought was the steepest they had ever gone 
down in their lives in an automobile without chains on the 
wheels. 

"Don't you think we had better put on chains?" shouted 
one of the dudes nervously. 

"Oh, I think we can make it," replied our driver. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 19 

''You think?" gasped another dude. 

"And what if you don't?" thought another. Yet what 
cared the dudes for the perils of the road. They were on 
their way to the mountains in search of big game and were 
wilUng to give what they must. 

We struck the bridge at the foot of the hill safely and 
drove on through the foothills. These foothills were 
sparsely covered with sage brush and bunch grass. We 
drove on up the canon into and between two mountain 
ranges which formed the banks of the Shoshone river. 

After almost sliding off the top of any number of high 
ledges and falling into the Big Stinkum river, and probably 
Kingdom Come, we stopped and put on our chains. By 
this time, however, the sky had cleared, the rain had ceased 
to fall and the air was fresh and cold. 

"Hal," shouted one of the dudes as loud as he could, so 
that he could be heard over the roar of the Shoshone river, 
which rushed by and down, "what is the name of that old 
pile of rock, which looks as if it might be inhabited by 
rattle snakes, and any number of man's most deadly ene- 
mies ?" 

"That's Rattlesnake Mountain. I was particularly anx- 
ious for you dudes to get an early start — the travelers, dudes 
and tourists say that this is one of the most beautiful drives 
in the world. On ahead is the Shoshone dam. I think it 
is one of the wonders of the world ; and, perhaps, you have 
never heard of it," announced Hal. 

Here we met a Ford car, full of tourists. We lost our 
breath when we saw how close to the outer rim of the ledge 
its wheels went. 

"Gee," cried Floyd, "driving in this canon gives a fellow 
the creeps." 

"Yes," laughed Hal, "and especially when you meet a 
green driver — yesterday I met one, and he just stopped on 
the brink, and almost sent himself and family on that long, 
long journey. I had to back several hundred yards down 
before I could find a place for him to pass." 



20 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

We then came to a place where the distance between the 
mountains became very narrow. The Shoshone River 
roared as it passed through the tunnels made in the moun- 
tains, which had been provided with the construction of 
the dam, so that the amount of water maintained in the 
lake ahead of the dam could be regulated; and from its 
roar a traveler co-uld easily imagine there was a storm 
brewing on the other side of the mountains. We followed 
the road, which had been cut out of the rocky sides of the 
mountain, in places through tunnels, until we saw the Fed- 
eral Dam. We stopped our car, and ran it into a small cut- 
out in the side of the mountain, which had been made ex- 
pressly for the purpose. 

We saw an immense concrete dam, reaching across the 
expanse between the two mountains, which formed the 
banks of the Shoshone River, damming the river, so that a 
wonderful lake of cold, pure water was formed ahead of 
the dam, the dam being above the sulphur springs. 

From the natural conditions — the way Nature had left 
the river and mountains originally — it appeared as if every- 
thing had been especially planned for this masterpiece of 
man's handiwork. Ahead of us, and on the other side of 
the dam, the mountains stretched forth and made room for 
the Shoshone Lake. 

"How immense," shouted Floyd, "is this dam!" 

"Let us go onto and across the dam," cried Joe. 

As we approached the dam Percy saw a sign which was 
placed there by the Government, and read aloud, as if he 
were thoroughly informed as to the facts. 

"Floyd," said Percy, "this dam was placed here by the 
Department of Interior of the United States Reclamation 
Service. It is the Shoshone Dam. Think of it — it has a 
height of three hundred and twenty-eight feet; a thickness 
at the base of one hundred and eight feet; a thickness at 
the top of ten feet ; and the length across is two hundred 
feet. It has a capacity of four hundred and fifty-six thou- 
sand acre feet, with an area water service of ten square 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 21 

miles. It has a maximum width of four miles and a maxi- 
mum depth of three hundred feet. The work on this dam 
began November, 1905, and was completed in 1910. It 
cost us, our Government, $1,354,000." 

"Thanks, Percy — for a minute I thought you were right 
smart on the wonders of our country, but I see you have 
merely been reading the sign," said Floyd, giving Percy a 
friendly kick in the seat of his trousers. 

"Say, Hal," shouted another dude, "is this dam in use?" 
Hal informed us that it had never yet been used. 

"Let us walk across the dam," suggested Joe. Every- 
body started across. We then walked down the long, long 
flight of steps, which led to the base of the dam. It ap- 
peared as if we would never get down, and when we finally 
did, we thought we would never get up again. Our hearts 
almost stopped beating from the exertion. 

We got back into the motor car and drove on. The way 
from the dam to the ranch, our destination, was not so 
steep. The pass widened. On one side lay the Shoshone 
Lake, and approaching it from both sides were vast grazing 
slopes. 

We drove on until we passed Wapiti postoffice. 

We stopped at Frost and Richards's ranch, and there we 
met the justice of the peace, an Honorable Mr. Justice Fos- 
ter. The Honorable Mr. Justice Foster, justice of the peace 
of Wapiti township, Park county, was a pleasant man. He 
had a pleasant job for the Honorable Mr. Justice Foster. 
It was the waiting of alien hunter's licenses for the dudes. 
These licenses gave the dudes the privilege of hunting in 
certain localities of Wyoming — stating them, providing we 
were accompanied with a guide each ; and for this high and 
important privilege we paid the Honorable Mr. Justice Fos- 
ter the sum of fifty dollars apiece. The Honorable Mr. 
Justice Foster, having received a new fifty-dollar bill from 
each dude, introduced us to his family and friends, who 
were there, and after they had wished us a great deal of 
success he wished us equally as much luck. 



22 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

We were told to keep the licenses and to present them 
to any game warden who might desire to see our credentials. 

After attending to these matters of state, we climbed 
back into the automobile and drove on. We arrived shortly 
at the homestead of Mr. Hal Evards. Here we were met 
by his mother and wife, both very charming women. They 
suggested that we had better have a little drink. We did. 
It might have been cocoa, and it might have been tea, but 
whatever it was, it was taken with due appreciation. While 
enjoying the drink and showing our gratitude, Hal left his 
living room, a mighty comfortable place, and went to get 
some dishes and cooking utensils which we were to take 
with us on our trip ; and, after each dude had nearly smoth- 
ered the hostess with his appreciation of the said little drink, 
we looked about the room and found it to be full of tro- 
phies. We admired these very much, and upon the return 
of Hal, were assured that we would doubtless have equally 
as many to take home with us after the trip. 

The mother of Hal seemed to know more about the neces- 
sities of the dudes than the dudes, and after going over 
their various needs, inquired if we were all warmly dressed. 

'Well," said she, in a motherly way, 'T always like to 
have my boys dressed so that they can stand the weather — 
keep a boy warm and well fed, and he will be all right in 
the mountains." 

We assured her that we were, and after Hal had told us 
that we would be very well fed, as he had attended to that 
himself, we bid the family good-by and started for our 
final drive for the night. 

We drove a mile or so on up the canon. We turned to 
our right, and turned into a large gate, which led into the 
ranch of Freeman and Shull. This road leads to the ranch 
house. It wound its way through the ranch. In places the 
road was very narrow and rutty. We were going down a 
slight incline. Our front wheels were in a rut. Our driver 
tried to turn out and was very much surprised to find that 
the steering gear of the car would not work. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 23 

"What's the matter, Hal?" shouted Floyd, as he got out 
of the car. 

We all got out and found that the steering knuckle grip 
had pulled off of the bar which turns the wheels. 

**My, how lucky we are that this did not happen when 
we were going around some of those high ledges," shouted 
Floyd. We all felt that we were exceedingly fortunate. 
With aid of a monkey wrench and a box of matches the 
machine was repaired by the dudes and we drove on 
through the dark. We had fairly good lights on the car, 
yet it was very dark and the road turned so much that the 
lights were of little use. Of course, Hal knew the road. 
We drove on, and after climbing a very steep hill, and 
turning a very sharp curve, we were greeted by the bark- 
ing of a dog and a friendly but gruff salutation of Mr. 
Hardy Shull. 

''Here are the dudes, Hardy," shouted Hal. 

"All right — glad to meet you, dudes; get out and spend 
the night. Hal, take 'em to the bunk house — oh, yes, every- 
thing is ready — we'll get away from here about five o'clock 
in the morning," added Hardy, laughing; "the boys are all 
asleep. Hal, find the dudes a place to sleep," said Hardy 
as he turned and went to bed. 

We were then conducted by our guide to another portion 
of the ranch yard, and into a low two-roomed log cabin. 
A lamp was lighted. 

"Here, there, Shorty — the dudes," shouted Hal. 

"Glad to meet you," cried Shorty, as he raised up in bed. 
"Dudes, you are a little late for an introduction, I'm Shorty 
Kelley; that fellow over there, who is still asleep and 

snoring, that's Ed, the cook. Ed, you old , wake 

up here and meet the dudes. And that fellow over there 
is Hurricane Bill." 

"Now, guides and roughnecks — all friends of ours — I 
want you to know our names," shouted Bill. "This is Joe, 
Joe McCandless — boys, you have my permission to call him 



24 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

Jo^; and Percy, Percy Field; Floyd, Floyd Hippie; and I 
am Bill, dude Bill. We are to be all boys together — Bill, 
Floyd, Joe, Percy — Shorty and Ed, Hardy, Hurricane Bill, 
Hal, and all of us." 

''All right, Bill," added Shorty, ''you and Percy take that 
bunk over there ; and Joe, you and Floyd that one over 
there ; and Hal, you will find a bunk over there," and with 
this suggestion Shorty tucked the covers around him and 
did nothing more until morning excepting snore. 

In a very few moments, and with no more to do about it, 
the dudes went to bed, and being tired, were soon fast 
asleep. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Morning came right away. The dudes got up, dressed 
and washed — washed in a wash pan out of doors in the 
cold, fresh air. 

"Here, you dudes, come and get it before we spit in it !" 
was the summons we had to breakfast. It was a breakfast 
of oatmeal, coffee and ham and eggs ; and large, thick slices 
of ham and as many eggs as any dude could eat — potatoes, 
hot biscuits, butter and preserves, and milk for those who 
liked milk to drink. The dudes ate until they were well filled 
and Bill passed around some cigars. The dudes proceeded 
to fill the kitchen and dining room of Mrs. Hardy Shull 
full of fine smoke, while the guides pulled their chairs back 
with a snap and ran to the corral. During our breakfast, 
Mrs. Hardy Shull presided. She was a good looking, red- 
headed young mother of possibly twenty-five summers. She 
waited upon the table and her beautiful baby girl ; while 
Hardy acted as cook and head waiter. 

The dudes made a fuss over the baby — they all vowed 
she was the sweetest little flower of the West they had ever 
seen ; and then Mrs. Shull smiled, while the dudes excused 
themselves and stepped out into the great out of doors. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 25 

We found the ranch house resting snugly on the slope 
of a mountain, and to the left of it, the bunk house. Be- 
tween the bunk house and the ranch house ran a beautiful 
little mountain stream of cold, fresh water. Back of the 
ranch house stood a range of sorrowful old gray moun- 
tains, which appeared to be grieved over the fact that they 
were not as stately looking as the ones across the valley. 

From the front platform, or porch, of the ranch house 
we saw a number of horses in the corral — a number sad- 
dled, and Shorty Kelly hustling around with all kinds of 
business. Hardy was busy, too, and so was Ed, and it 
was with a great deal of pleasure that we watched these 
men work. 

There were twenty-seven animals selected to carry the 
dudes and their provisions into the mountains. We were 
assigned to our horses according to our weights. Percy 
drew a large gray horse, Floyd a buckskin pony. Bill a 
gray and Joe a sorrel. The other horses and mules were 
used as pack animals. Of course, Hardy had his black 
horse ; Shorty, a big rangy heavy animal ; Ed, his pretty 
little mare ; and Hurricane Bill, an Indian pony. 

In the course of an hour or so we were mounted and 
with one loud hurrah we started from the ranch for parts 
unknown to the dudes. 

It must have been amusing to see the dudes mount their 
horses. All of them had ridden more or less in the low 
country, but no bronchos. They had ridden for an hour 
or so, or a half hour, but riot all day. At any rate the 
dudes were able to climb upon their horses without assist- 
ance. We were soon traveling toward our happy hunting 
ground. 

The morning air was fresh and invigorating. The sun 
shone brightly and everything appeared to be happy and 
gay. 

We rode up the Shoshone canon all day long. We were 
going into the vicinity of what is commonly known as The 
Jackson Hole country. 



26 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

"Hal," asked Bill, as he rode up close to him, "why is it 
that this country is commonly called 'The Jackson Hole 
country ?' " 

"Well," said Hal, "in what the old timers out here 
called 'the good old days,' there was a bunch of bandits 
who lived and operated in this district ; they did their raid- 
ing down in the low country and then took refuge in the 
mountains. Old man Teton Jackson was the ringleader ; 
he 'holed up' there — it was his hole ; and ever since it has 
borne his name." 

Just then one of the pack mules took a notion to depart 
from the train and Hal spurred his horse on over what 
looked to be such a precipice that one of the dudes thought 
we were going to lose one of our guides, while another 
dude, to strengthen his nerve took the same plunge and 
after a rough ride landed safely near the bottom of the hill. 

Ed rode ahead of the line. He led a mule and all of 
the other animals just naturally fell in line and on we went 
to the music of the guides and Shorty Kelly, the hor.se 
wrangler, as they used a little cow rhetoric on the pack 
train. 

While Shorty, early in the morning, had dressed for din- 
ner, breakfast and all day, it may be pleasant for us to con- 
sider him and his attire. 

There he stood on his toes. It seems he was always on 
his tO€s, in high heeled boots, with spurs almost as long as 
his feet, "rearing to go." Of course these spurs were dear 
to his heart, having been presented to him by one of his 
millionaire friends, another dude ; a pair of corduroy trous- 
ers, stuffed in the sides of his boots. He wore a hickory 
shirt. He covered the back of his head with a large Stetson 
hat, big enough to use as an umbrella, and tall enough to 
make a short legged man look imposing. Shorty was well 
muscled. He was all shoulders and arms ; and while his 
legs were long enough to "bounce about" anywhere, and 
everywhere, with agility, yet it appeared, from a casual ob- 
servance, that they were not long enough to sit astride a 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 27 

horse, yet Shorty was a horseman, through and through, and 
rode the highest and biggest horse in the pack. He had a 
very pleasant voice — could sing or swear with equal versa- 
tility ; and had the reputation ci being able to shoot a gun 
with such accuracy as to take off the lower joint of the 
ankle of a gnat at, say two hundred yards, without ever 
disturbing the upper joint of the said gnat. He was origi- 
nally from the East, but with him it had been so com- 
pletely swallowed up by the West that I don't think he could 
ever again be claimed by the East, excepting as a hero. He, 
like a good many other heroes, had come from there in his 
youth. 

We jangled along the road which led up the canon. We 
crossed the Shoshone River and followed a shelf on one 
side of the mountain, used as a road. Sometimes the rock 
of the mountain overhung the road, and it would make one 
feel dizzy to look and see immediately above him an over- 
hanging mountain. Whole sides of the mountains appeared 
to be leaning, and about to fall ; yet they have stood the 
strength of the ages, and from their massive appearance, 
have a fair opportunity to remain unmolested for any 
number of centuries, yet, they, like everything, shall in 
time disintegrate. 

Immediately below us ever rushed the river, hissing, boil- 
ing and dashing itself against the rocks. 

Across the river we could see every now and then small 
ranch houses and a strip or so of irrigated land. As the 
road led by the river the valley narrowed and the mountains 
became very rugged. 

We rode and followed the pack until noon. We dis- 
mounted and the dudes were served with a lunch, whicn 
consisted of a large home-made bun, bacon and cheese. 

Notwithstanding the fact that the dudes had eaten a 
heavy breakfast, it being well displaced and digested by 
their ride, they were ready for another meal. It was a little 
harder for us to get off our horses at noon than the getting 
on them in the morning, yet we were only beginning to feel 



28 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

the effects of the ride. We all took a long drink out of the 
river, ate lunch, and remounted. 

All along the road we found places which the state had 
provided for tourists to camp, and about them there were 
signs, suggesting that those using the camp sites be good 
woodsmen and put out their camp fires. 

This road which we were following led to the southern 
entrance of the Yellowstone National Park. There were 
any number of automobiles passing from both ways, and 
now and then a big yellow tallyho of an automobile would 
come dashing down or up. 

"Of all the wild drivers," shouted one of the (ludes, as a 
big car dashed by, hardly slowing up to insure the safe pas- 
sage of our pack train. 

"Here comes another!" cried a dude, nervously. 

It appeared to us that they were rubbing it in on the 
guides and horse wrangler. 

"Let me have your gun, Bill," shouted Shorty, "I'll fix 

these , if they can't pass our pack right. Some 

of these tourists think they own the whole 

state of Wyoming; by G ," and Shorty jerked out a 

high-powered rifle and awaited the oncoming machine, while 
the dudes awaited whatever would happen. It came to be, 
however, fortunately for all parties concerned, that the 
driver of this car was a gentleman and he drove up and 
stopped and gave us plenty of time to get our pack by. 

On the stopping of the car out bounced a well-tanned 
somebody, who looked something like a man and something 
like a woman, with a kodak, and proceeded to snapshot our 
party. She satisfied herself by taking our pictures. One 
of the dudes then — I won't say which one, as I might mean 
each one — threw her a kiss, while the said individual, upon 
such a salutation, put her kodak upon the running board of 
the car and proceeded to bring smiles to the pack by using 
both hands in throwing back what I presume was her ap- 
preciation of our greeting. 

Shorty replaced the high-powered rifle and removed his 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 29 

hat, blushed to his ears and bid the individual a fond good- 
bye. 

A carload of fat Jews passed, and any number of Fords 
bounced along, all shaking and rattling the store teeth of 
a number of old, sunburned faces. These faces bid us good 
cheer and were pleasant to encounter and study ; yet they 
were becoming a pest, for each time some of our mules 
would leave the pack, and the horse wrangler would have 
to get them back in line. 

We rode on around and through the mountains and the 
canon, using this automobile road, which was in very good 
condition. It appeared that every time we would go around 
a good-sized mountain we would run into a different kind 
of weather. On one side oi the mountain the sun was 
shining very brightly, while on the other it was raining, and 
yet, when we would go around another, it would be sleet- 
ing, and then we would come back into the sunshine. There 
were any number of storms blowing up and down this 
canon. 

The dudes were constantly changing their clothing, put- 
ting on and the taking ofif of their hunting coats, their 
leather coats and raincoats, while the guides and horse 
wrangler rode along upon their mounts and enjoyed them- 
selves to their fullest extent, the ride and their ability to 
swear. 

"That was quite a rhetorical expression," suggested one 
c.f the dudes to Shorty, after he had called a mare mule 
almost everything bad in the world for leaving the pack 
and chasing up the side of the mountain. 

"A what!" shouted Shorty, somewhat exasperated. 

"A rhetorical expression," repeated the dude, continuing. 
"Doubtless, my dear Shorty, you believe in hyperbole, or 
taking advantage of such when speaking to a mule." 

"Oh, yes," added Shorty, smiling, "we believe in using 
a little power now and then." 

Shorty, Hurricane Bill, Hardy, Hal and Ed rode along 
with the ease and comfort of experienced horsemen, but 



30 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

the dudes — well, the dudes constantly shifted their positions 
from one side to the other, riding with first one leg over 
the saddle horn and then the other, vainly searching for the 
easy way, which comes only from experience and practice. 
Percy vowed that his ears would be sore from the ride, 
while Floyd suggested that he possessed something else, 
which was nearer the saddle, that bothered him more than 
his ears. 

Our ride up the canon led us past the Palisades of the 
Shoshone. These Palisades are imposing walls of brown 
stone, which have been formed by the winds, rains and 
snows of the ages, so that they resemble, if you would be 
kind enough to draw upon your imagination slightly, ruins 
of old castles and fortifications. There they stood, and 
shall stand, for the centuries to come. 

We also passed a mountain which had an opening in its 
top; this we were told was called ''Window Rock." 

We rode by another mountain which stood uniquely in 
our minds, in that it possessed something different from 
any other section of our country, or any other portion of 
the world, as far as that is concerned — it maintained a holy 
city. This holy city stood high in a mountain pocket — far, 
far away from harm, and the jibes and jeers of this old 
wicked world. The elements had so cut and carved the 
rock that it resembled a great cathedral where an innumer- 
able throng worshipped silently, ever standing or kneeling 
as their creator intended, never joining in that great amen 
ever chanted mysteriously by the wind. 

Leaning tower stood on ahead of the dudes. It looked 
as if it might topple over at any minute. 

*'Do you see that leaning rock over there, Joe?" said 
Hurricane Bill. ''One night there was a cow puncher, who 
had a 'wee drop too much' — he put a log up against it and 
propped it up, and then hurried on to Wapiti and told his 
friends that the mountain was falling over and would have 
had it not been for him propping it up." 

On up the canon we rode until about 5 o'clock. We en- 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 31 

countered all sorts of weather, rain, hail, sleet and some 
sunshine. All of us were chilled to the bone. 

We arrived at what is commonly known as Libby Flats. 
Libby Flats are a number of pieces of flat ground of a 
valley located between the two mountain ranges. This is 
a very good place for grazing. Here we pitched our camp, 
which consisted of our piling our luggage under a tree and 
the setting up of a camp stove. The guides and horse 
wrangler unpacked the mules and horses and put our beds 
on the ground. Ed assembled his camp stove, which looked 
like two cracker boxes, sitting end to end upon each other, 
with a stove pipe in one end of one of the boxes. He was 
very busy getting supper. In the course of much swearing 
on the part of the guides and horse wrangler, as they un- 
packed the pack train, and a great deal of stirring about on 
the part of the cook, dinner was prepared. 

Our dinner consisted of clam soup, bacon and eggs, 
bread and butter, pickles, corn and coffee. The bread was 
in the shape of large hot buns, reasonably well cooked. On 
these buns we piled a lot of butter and jam, and with the 
soup, bread, eggs, bacon, corn and coffee, we had a good 
dinner. It was served in tin pans — some of it, hand to mouth. 

A short distance from our camp lay what is known as 
Holm Lodge. This is a summer place. The altitude here 
is approximately seven thousand five hundred feet above 
the sea level. The air tonight was cold and chilly ; and 
tlie dudes, being slightly shivery, readily acquiesced in the 
suggestion of one of them — and I'll not say which one, as 
I might mean each one — that we have a "wee touch of 
something warming," which he poured out of a bottle — 
doubtless for the purpose of counteracting the altitude and 
the dampness. The "wee touch," having before dinner met 
with such universal approval, was again served at the close 
of the festivities — so it came to be that the dudes quickly 
forgot that they had ridden all day — had been very tired 
and sore — and promptly accepted the suggestion of Hurri- 



32 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

cane Bill that we go up the road which led to Holm Lodge, 
and see what was going on there. 

We went to Ho-lm Lodge under the chaperonage of Hur- 
ricane Bill. We found Hurricane Bill to be quite familiar 
there, upon being escorted by him to that rendezvous. 

The distance wasn't very great, yet it was all up hill and 
at such an altitude that it was a great effort for all of the 
dudes. The dudes, however, were an adventurous sort and 
pushed on, regardless of what might happen to their hearts. 
They had left their sweethearts at home, so what cared 
they for their hearts. 

We found Holm Lodge to be a very large log cabin. One 
end of the cabin was furnished as a general assembly room 
or lobby. It had a large fireplace, over which hung the 
mounted head of a bull elk. The walls were covered with 
trophies. The lodge also had a pleasant porch and at one 
corner of the porch was a spring of cold, pure water. 
Around the lodge were a number of tent houses, which ac- 
commodated the summer folk at bed time. 

We walked up on the porch. Upon looking through the 
window of the lodge we surveyed the situation. We found 
in the far end of the lobby the immense fireplace and its 
cheerful rays illuminated the faces of a crowd of summer 
people. They appeared to. be enjoying themselves very 
much. 

The door of Holm Lodge was fastened, and locked at 
night, by an elk horn lock. The handle and the lock were 
all made from the horns of elk. Its latch string was al- 
ways hanging out to Hurricane Bill and his friends. • We 
walked in — all of us carrying large caliber revolvers, 
dressed in the roughest possible costumes. 

The four dudes and Hurricane Bill made themselves at 
home and took charge of the fireplace. My, but it was 
warm and comforting. 

Everybody was enjoying the songs of a young lady who 
performed at the piano. 

We were introduced to the hostess, a Mrs. Young, and 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 33 

then, having become so very well acquainted with Mrs. 
Young, by the introduction of such a distinguished char- 
acter as Hurricane Bill, Mrs. Young told us that they were 
in the act of giving a dance and that she would be delighted 
if we would take part in it. She then introduced us to all 
of the guests. 

Of course, the dudes all could dance even though they 
had ridden all day on horseback, and their bones and bodies 
ached ; yet under all of the circumstances, they felt they 
should do their part, especially as Mrs. Young, a friend of 
Hurricane Bill, had so requested them. 

The pianist struck a very lively ragging one-step and 
the dudes with their partners stepped off with vim and vigor. 

The first dance was a sort of a race. It was wild and 
furious. The dudes and the summer folk puffed and blew, 
both on account of the dance and the altitude. Their efforts 
brought the bloom of youth to the faces of each while down 
their cheeks ran large drops of perspiration. 

"Yes, Miss ," said one of the dudes, as the said 

Miss, a very charming young personage of possibly twenty 
summers, was escorted over to a chair by a pleasant but 
puffing dude, 'T really enjoyed the one-step, and you!" he 
added, as he mopped his brow. 

"You did?" she said and smiled, as she looked as if she 
realized the truth of his expression, but doubted his sin- 
cerity ; yet, notwithstanding, was going to accept the same 
and appreciate it. 

''And where are you from?" asked the dude. She told 
him that she was from New York. The dude vowed that 
he had always found New York to be a grand old place, 
and that while pure mountain air was one thing, the bright 
lights were another — she was a long ways from home, and 
out there in the wilds, someone should watch her step, and 
it might as well be her newly made friend. 

Right in the midst of four particularly blissful moments, 
when the four dudes were enjoying themselves to their full- 
est extent, the hostess stepped in the center of the room 



34 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

and announced that we would have an old-fashioned Vir- 
ginia reel. 

The reel proceeded with fury. When all of the summer 
folk and dudes were completely out of breath, it was sug- 
gested that everybody gather about the piano and sing; so 
the party, being out of breath, whispered the ragtime words 
of 'T'm From Dixie," until they were in breath, and then 
with a determined effort to please, almost shook the trophies 
from the wall. 

All of this time there was a very dignified old gentleman, 
with a long, grizzly beard, sat by patiently. He stroked 
his beard and looked very much as if he didn't approve of 
dancing. In fact, he looked as if he didn't approve of a 
great many other things and especially one of the dudes'. 
Being so disposed he soon feel asleep and upon being sud- 
denly awakened by a high note of one of the apparent song- 
sters, almost fell out of his chair ; and he, having do-ne such 
an undignified thing, and having committed such an out- 
rageous social error, gathered up himself, and what re- 
mained of his dignity and started to bed. He didn't go until 
he had called one of the charming young women from the 
floor, very much as if she were still a mere child. The 
young woman explained to her father that she was going 
to dance "one more" dance and then retire ; and the father, 
upon receiving such a satisfactory explanation, said good- 
night and went to bed. 

''And is he your father?" asked the dude, rather aston- 
ished. 

''Yes, and a perfect dear, too ! Yet he is getting a little 
old. He has forgotten how he used to dance and enjoy 
himself — but he is so good to me ; and when he isn't tired 
he is such a good pal. We go everywhere together." 

The dude, of course, was glad that the man with the 
grizzly beard was not her husband ; and upon his telling 
this to her, she laughed in a jolly way and gave evidence to 
what some may call the pearly teeth ; the enchanting eyes 
of blue ; the slightly tanned pink cheeks ; and as she coyly 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 35 

winked behind a dark eyebrow and pertly curtsied, showing 
the top of her well-dressed bundle of black hair, she told 
the dude that he was so rough and tough looking that she 
had really begun to like him. This made the dude realize 
that he was a married man and, as he blushed through his 
smiles, he was cautioned by another dude who was doing 
the same thing, that he had better watch his step. Of 
course, all of the dudes did. 

'T suppose you boys are hunters?" she said earnestly. 

"Nope, we are dudes," replied the rough-looking in- 
dividual. 

"And aren't you?" she added, smiling; oh, so sweetly. 

''Suppose we are — that's what they call us — and after 
bouncing all day on that broncho of mine I feel I'm not 
much of anything." 

"Oh," said she smiling, "it might be the altitude. Do 
you feel a little faint? Or as if now, let's see — I've some 
of what I carry for father — would a mere dash of it 
please ?" and then she smiled so sweetly that the dude rather 
envied her father, and suggested that there was plenty of 
water at the spring at the corner of the lodge. From that 
time on this particular dude was able to cope with the alti- 
tude and all his surroundings. 

"Do you see that column of smoke over there?" asked 
the dude, after having directed his companion in that direc- 
tion. "That is our camp — and tomorrow we leave the 
beaten path, and most of the world, for the mountains." 

"Oh, what a wonderful trip there is ahead of you. I 
wish I were a man and could go, and if papa wasn't so 
afraid of his heart I would go anyway." 

"His sweetheart," remarked the dude, jokingly. The 
miss smiled and showed her pretty teeth — and all out there 
in the moonlight, too — and then the music began another 
one-step. Av^ay danced the dude and his cheery compan- 
ion, whom he told confidentially that he thought her father 
must be the most fortunate man to have such a good fellow 
with whom to travel. 



36 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

"I'd rather — you know, I'm in a terrible predicament, 
Mister Dude. Why, I'd rather dance with you than any- 
body in the world, yet I find you so interesting that I want 
to hear more of your trip, and you — come ! Let us sit 
down. I know you must be very tired." And they found a 
comfortable seat. 

"Tell me, did you ever see a real live bear?" she asked. 

"Oh, yes, many a bear," and the dude winked at another 
dude across the room. 

"Was it really alive !" 

"Of course, the keeper fed it twice a day," answered the 
dude, smiling. And the pretty miss suggested that he must 
indeed be a wonderful dude. 

"Say, Mister Dude," said she, again smiling, "do you 
know any bear stories?" 

"I don't know any bear stories," said the dude, as he 
winked at another dude, motioning for the other dude to 
leave him to his fair companion, "but once a friend of mine 
was fishing out here in these very mountains. He had wan- 
dered off from the gang, and his guide, and was away from 
everybody and everything but the wild things of the forest. 
He was hiding behind a big rock between a mountain 
stream and another large boulder immediately behind him. 
Well, he was fishing and having right smart luck. Every 
time he would pull a fish out he would flip it over behind 
the big rock back of him ; and, of course, he thought that 
he would climb over there presently and pick them all up. 
The fish kept on biting, and he kept on pulling them out 
and flipping them over the big rock, until he was very much 
surprised to find that his line was caught over there. He 
held fast to his fishing rod, reeling in some of the line ; and, 
upon climbing over the big rock, his hair just naturally 
raised his hat from the top of his head ; and there^ — well, 
what do you think he had? It was nothing short of a big 
fat bear. The fisherman raised his trusty weapon and — " 

"The next dance will be another Virginia reel — every- 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 37 

body get their partners," shouted Mrs. Young. Everybody 
did and on went the dance. 

The crowd danced until they had their fill of dancing; 
and, like all other pleasant gatherings, had to disperse. The 
charming companions of the dudes were excusing them- 
selves, saying good-night; and, oh, so sweetly. Isn't it 
wonderful how nice some people can make themselves 
when they are a long, long way from home, where there is 
no one to complain or criticize? 

The hour had grown late. One of the dudes and Hurri- 
cane Bill had thought of their beds upon the ground at 
Libby Flats, and had hurried away; doubtless, they did not 
care for such a blaze of social splendor. 

"Say, Floyd and Percy," said Bill, *T want a bed here 
for the night — wonder if they have any good ones." Floyd 
and Percy suggested that we might ask Mrs. Young. We 
did and were shown by her to a tent house where we found 
a pair of fine double beds. 

How comforting it is to lie down at the end of a strenu- 
ous day in a good bed. Can you imagine anything better 
for these tired dudes ? The air had grown cold and frosty. 
Our dancing had warmed us to a superheat. The heavy 
blankets as well as the bed were indeed appreciated. 

"Bill, this is thoughtful of you — I thank you," said Percy 
as he blew the light out and jumped in bed. Floyd also 
thanked Bill, and Bill felt very well pleased over his bright 
idea, for were it not for such, we would have been lying 
on the ground on Libby Flats. 



CHAPTER VH. 

The cold gray dawn of the morning of August 28, 1917, 
came early to the dudes; and especially to dudes Floyd, 
Bill and Percy. Floyd had attended to that by yelling, 
"Powder River!" into the ears of the other two dudes while 



38 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

they lay snoring. ''B-r-r-r!" they cried and shivered as 
they sHpped into their hunting clothing, after a refreshing 
night's sleep. All of the dudes vowed that the thin air 
was as cold as real winter, and after much shivering and 
loud talking, the dudes awakened, among others, the pro- 
prietor of the establishment, paid their bills and hurried 
down to their camp. 

The mountain side was frosty. We saw our camp in a 
distance. Ed was standing over the stove, and an odor of 
cooking Java permeated the pure mountain air. 

Shorty Kelly had rounded up the horses and mules, which 
had been grazing in the flats. 

''What kind of cakes are these?" asked Percy, after the 
dudes had finished a bountiful breakfast of oatmeal, coffee, 
bread (hot biscuits), ham and eggs, fried potatoes, cakes. 

"Sour dough," was Ed's reply. 

"You know," interrupted Shorty, as he gobbled down 
three or four more cakes, "we always carry the sour dough 
in that black mule's ear." 

"What a handy place," suggested one of the dudes, while 
the guides delighted in magnifying the fact, but the dudes 
ate through the whole argument and a dozen or so more 
cakes, and didn't care where the sour dough was carried. 

As our guides and horse wrangler were packing for the 
road, the dancing partner of one of the dudes arrived to 
see us into the mountains, and I dare say, would have, had 
she not come at the precise moment that a certain ornery 
animal, named Pappoose, "spilled her pack," and then all 
of the guides and horse wrangler spilled a lot of mountain 
rhetoric. The dudine, as she was called by the natives, smiled 
and suggested something about the artistic temperament of 
the horse wrangler, paused long enough to have a picture 
taken, and then, to the music of a mountain canary, rode 
away. 

"Harken unto the music of the mountain birdie!" 
shouted Shorty, as he tightened the ropes on a pack mule, 
and the dudes discovered the mountain songster to be noth- 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 39 

ing more than a mule, doubtless, giving the dude the gen- 
eral ''hee-haw" for his success with the dudine. 

By 9:30 breakfast was over, the mules and horses were 
all packed and the dudes were, with the greatest effort, on 
the backs of their horses, still headed for parts unknown. 

We rode up the valley a few miles and then turned our 
pack into the mountains. We followed a trail, just wide 
enough for a horse to walk. Occasionally we had to push 
the horse over to one side to avoid being rubbed against a 
tree. We passed through a number of wooded parks which 
nature had especially constructed for the wild things of the 
forest. 

On up we rode, riding at a steady climbing walk, up a 
winding trail into and through heavily wooded mountains, 
where, from time to time the chipmunks or squirrels would 
scurry over the trunks of fallen trees which had gone down 
in some storm. Some of them had fallen across the trail, 
and over these our horses would bound. 

We rode around the sides of mountains, following a 
perilous trail. It often overlooked great precipices. 

We followed the meanderings of Eagle Creek, winding 
and twisting our way through the mountains all day. Close 
upon the hour of five we arrived at what we were told to 
be Eagle Creek Meadows. 

Now Eagle Creek Meadows lie between two moun- 
tains, a small but beautiful valley. The altitude here 
is higher, perhaps fifteen hundred to two thousand feet, 
which was the extent of our climb during our journey 
that day. The entrance to these meadows was closed 
by a heavy wood, and through this wood ran Eagle 
Creek and our trail. After passing through the wood 
our pack stopped and we dismounted. It was by far 
the hardest for some of the dudes. All of them, ex- 
cepting possibly Joe, were very tired and sore. 

The guides and cook busied themselves with camp. 
Our supplies and saddles were piled under a tree. Our 
beds were spread upon the ground. 



40 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

Our beds consisted of first a heavy tarpaulin, a pair 
of quilts, a number of blankets — enough to keep us 
warm — and then the tarpaulin was long enough so as to 
go under the bed and cover the top of it. In this way we 
had a place to sleep for the night. These beds in the 
morning were doubled and packed on the backs of our 
pack animals. 

After this preparation for the night the dudes decided 
that they would go to the creek and take a plunge. 

**Now, ain't that like a bunch of dudes," shouted 
Hardy, ''always wanting to take a cold plunge. Well, 

I'll be d d — you'll get a good cold one, all right. Just 

help yourself, the door to the bath is always open out 
here, but few go in." 

The dudes, however, were not afraid of cold water 
and went merrily to the river with towels and soap. 
They pulled off their clothing and were about in the 
act of taking a dive when one of them cautioned the 
others as to the depth of the pool. Then the dudes stuck 
their toes in instead. 

"In the name of all the holy Saints at once — whoopee! 
She's a cold bath," shouted one of the dudes, and his 
appreciation was echoed by all in voices loud and 
shivery. 

"Why, the water is so cold, it just pains you, — doesn't 
even feel cold. Oh, br-r-r-r!" cried another dude. Dlide 
Floyd then pushed dude Percy in, and dude Joe jumped 
in to prevent being pulled in, while dude Bill sat on the 
bank mightily well pleased with having his clothing on. 

"Aw, come on in. Bill — the water's fine," cried Joe, 
shivering, his teeth nearly chattering a tune. So Bill 
pulled off his clothes and slipped in gently, oh so gently, 
and dipped into the limpid water. 

"Oh, how wonderful!" shouted Bill as he fixuished 
putting on his woolen clothing. 

"I'm as fresh as a flower," echoed the voice of Floyd 
in the faraway hills, while Joe suggested that a little of 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 41 

*'sech" went a long way. Bill vowed it was a man's 
bath, and the dudes, upon returning to camp and meet- 
ing the guides, were told by the guides that the idea was 
all right but the taking of the bath was worse to take 
than medicine. 

The dudes were feeling so fresh that they suggested 
a walk through the woods, and the guides immediately 
acquiesced, our party, excepting our cook, who remained 
to get supper, went into the woods. 

"That Shorty certainly is a 'bouncing boy,' in the 
woods," shouted Floyd as he returned to camp, after 
having been out with Shorty. '*Whew, it makes you 
blow and sweat," he said as he wiped his red face, and 
added that the altitude affected him very much. 

"And me, too," shouted Percy. 'T have run many a 
race, but never knew I could breathe like I did after 
taking a few rapid steps. My, it sets your heart a 
thumping." Joe suggested that Hurricane Bill was a 
regular mountain mule, while Hardy and Hal were like- 
wise complimented. The dudes, however, were now con- 
tent to sit down on the ground and have their supper 
of bacon and eggs dished out to them. We also had 
hot coffee, hot soup, hot biscuits and canned peaches. 

After dinner dude Bill passed around a box of cigars 
with gold bands around them and some equally as fine 
cigarettes, while one of the dudes contented himself 
with a certain meerschum pipe. 

''Shorty, have a cigar," urged Bill. 

"No, Bill, I thank you, but I don't smoke," replied 
Shorty, grinning and blushing considerably as if he were 
actually ashamed of his virtue. 

"Don't smoke?" answered Bill, quite astonished, "I'd 
hate to offer you a drink." 

"Well," said Shorty, "it would be all the same." 

"Don't smoke or chew, or drink?" shouted Bill, be- 
wildered. "I'll be d d, say, boy what do you do?" 

And Shorty blushed again and vowed that while he 



42 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

didn't have any of those habits suggested that he was 
a horse wrangler and could hold his own at "plain cuss- 
ing." Bill said that he really believed that Shorty could 
from what he had heard from him while handling the 
pack train. 

"Why all the virtue, Shorty?" inquired another dude. 

"Oh, I don't know, it isn't any particular virtue — I just 
have found it won't work. I've had all of the bad habits, I 
suppose — from 'cussing' to drinking — but I've quit every- 
thing but 'cussing,' and a horse wrangler just naturally has 
to speak to a horse now and then, so a horse will under- 
stand, — that of a Pappoose, you'd have a hell 

of a time getting him to hold a pack by saying dude words 
to him — now wouldn't you? Why, he'd kick a lung out 
of you." 

"Say, boys, I'm mighty glad to hear tonight out here 
in the wilds this lesson of Shorty's. Bill has shown us 
that he is really virtuous, and solely for the reason that 
it is best to be that way — Shorty refrains from doing 
wrong because experience teaches him that he will be 
injured by his wrongful acts. I think a lot more good 
could be accomplished in the world by this way of 
urging a fellow to refrain from doing wrong, than be- 
cause if he does not do right, he will not be 'as holy as 
thou art,' " proclaimed one of the dudes, who looked 
very much like he was going to start an argument. 

"Well," added another dude, "what difference does it 
make — let us go to bed. Come on ! I'm going — why, I 
wouldn't start an argument here now for a feather bed; 
and God knows I could use just such a bed." 

Ed had thrown a timely suggestion into our midst 
by snoring. He was just in the act of swallowing his 
tongue. Everybody was tired, so to bed we started, 
while Hardy ended the philosophizing with the state- 
ment that he didn't care why a fellow should do right, 
but that out there in Wyoming he had better, or he 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 43 

would get something knocked out of him, or shot in or 
out of him, if he didn't. 

The dudes hunted up their beds. They had been 
somewhat carelessly cast upon the ground. The tar- 
paulins were all covered with frost, yet the dudes, little 
used to such roughness, pulled the covers back, their 
shoes off, and soon were fast asleep. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Morning came shortly. The dudes were awakened by 
the declaration of immediate war upon an erring mule. 
Shorty Kelly had just finished rounding up the horses 
and mules. Ed had quit snoring long ago and was 
busy with breakfast. 

"Now, Joe, I'll leave it to you if that isn't productive 
of a little mountain rhetoric," shouted Percy as he held 
before the two of them a frozen sock. 

"Why, you big chump ! don't you know enough to put 
your socks under your pillow," said Joe laughing, "and, 
besides, when you do that, you might not be bothered 
with the smell of the horse or mule which carried the 
bed during the day." 

"Much obliged, Joe — being I have lost my sense of 
smell, and can't smell a mule anyhow, I'll put my socks, 
after this, under my feet." A.nd Joe said that he guessed 
that would be all right, suggesting that I was about the 
only one to please in the matter anyway. 

The dudes stood around the cook stove, stretching, 
grunting and warming themselves. 

"Here, you dudes had better hurry up, and get your 
breakfast. We cross the divide today," shouted Hardy. 

The dudes hastened to wash. They found a skim of 
ice on the water bucket and after a fresh plunge into 
the river, or wash pan, as the dude desired, the dudes 
were busy at a sport dear to their hearts. 

"Maybe you dudes had better sight your rifles," said 



44 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

Hal. As all the guides thought it best, we sat a box 
about fifty yards away and fired at a spot. We found 
each rifle perfectly sighted. 

After the usual hustling, bustling and swearing, on the 
part of the guides and horse wrangler, our pack was 
made. 

Our trail followed a wild mountain stream which was 
constantly growing smaller as we climbed and its waters 
rushed on by with a dull monotonous roar which ever 
seemed to caution us to beware. 

About noon our trail became so steep that we had to 
dismount, walk, in a crawling climbing fashion, and lead 
our horses. Every now and then a mule would leave 
the line of pack. The horse wrangler or guide who was 
nearest the animal would burst forth into a blast of pro- 
fanity; and the broncho or mule would generally, upon 
receiving the admonitions of the man of the west, slowly 
turn his head and jump back into the pack; yet some- 
times, while they appeared to understand their noisy 
injunction, they had notions of their own. In a case 
like this the guide or horse wrangler would let out a few 
more withering blasts of mule language, spur his horse 
on in the direction of the disturbing element, and the 
intruder would soon be back in the trail. 

The ascent was so steep and the abyss below so great 
that the dudes often turned their heads and looked to- 
ward the mountain rather than risk becoming dizzy from 
looking down ; yet, occasionally, one of them would take 
a look into the depths, immediately over the trail, where 
had his horse slipped, oh so slightly, it would have been 
the great beyond for him. We rounded ledges, our 
horses walking on loose rocks, in places where it ap- 
peared to me no human foot could safely tread. The 
air was rapidly becoming so rare that we could go only 
a few steps until our hearts would beat and bound as if 
they would break. Every now and then we would 
have to stop for wind. We stopped any number of times. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 45 

On one of these stops we ate our lunch, which consisted 
of a large biscuit and a piece of cheese. With this re- 
freshment we climbed on. Our horses and pack animals 
appeared to realize that the trail could not last forever up. 
They wanted to go on and have it over with, and on 
we went. 

We were now in a new and strange land of snow and 
ice. We found the air extremely cold and fresh, yet 
both man and beast sweat profusely. 

"How long has this snow been up here?" asked one of 
the dudes, blowing heavily and pointing to a pocket in 
the north side of the mountain. 

"God only knows," was the reply of the guide. "We 
had a lot of snow last winter — more than usual, but as 
to just how long that bank has been there — oh, well, it 
is like the mountains." 

"Say, down there. Bill !" yelled Floyd, "don't you wish 
you were up this far?" And Bill wished he was up 
where Floyd was, although Floyd was only three or 
four horse lengths ahead, yet to gain the position of 
Floyd meant a struggle over the loose rock and around 
a boulder, which looked mightily as if it would come 
tumbling down and bury him forever. 

We climbed on up the trail, or followed the head of 
the pack. The trail which we were following was only 
a small path, traceable in places. Into this path at var- 
ious intervals ran game trails. 

"These mountains are just as full of streets and thor- 
oughfares of their own as a city is of streets and boule- 
vards," remarked another dude, breathing heavily and 
sitting down to rest. 

"Don't it make you a little nervous?" said a dude, 
pointing over the side of the mountain. 

"Oh, not much," replied Joe, "yet I wouldn't want to 
slip," and just then a good sized rock rolled from its 
place and tumbled down and as Joe turned and winked 
the blood came to his cheeks. The stone rolled on down. 



46 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

we heard it on its way for a distance, and then saw it roll 
on down, but could not hear it. 

"Well, sir," said Percy, after resting, ''this horse of 
mine is as slow as death. He almost stumbled down on 
the automobile road a dozen times, but up here, he cer- 
tainly does watch his step; and I'm mighty proud of the 
old gray after all, just take your time, old fellow, and 
bear in mind that this dude is in no hurry up here." 
And the gray mountain horse shook his head as if to 
say, fair enough, but keep on walking. 

On we went. We climbed. We slid, caught hold of 
big rocks, and occasionally a small tree ; and at times, 
we balanced ourselves between this world and the next. 

"Hardy," shouted dude Bill, "do you ever lose a horse 
on one of these trips?" 

"Yes, sometimes — " Hardy replied, and Hardy looked 
down towards Bill, and upon seeing Bill in a perilous 
position paused, and after Bill had climbed up to safety, 
Hardy yelled his reply. 

"And sometimes a dude — " cried Hardy, laughing, as 
he climbed on as comfortably as one of the dudes would 
have walked down Broadway. The effect the altitude had 
upon the guides was not noticeable ; and, especially, 
upon Hardy. He walked all of the way and stepped 
along merrily. Oh, my dear friends, shall we ever for- 
get that rare specimen of manhood; his strength; his 
courage ; his hardiness ; his wholesomeness ! His cos- 
tume consisted of woolen socks; a pair of heavy shoes; 
overalls ; a hickory shirt and a big cowboy hat. During 
all of the time I saw him in the mountains in the ice and 
snow I never saw him shiver. His body appeared as 
warm as his heart and he delighted in waiting upon what 
he called, "the tender plants." 

We were all now wrestling with the most perilous 
climb taken by the pack train. We climbed on and up. 
Sometimes on all fours ; sometimes clinging to a rock, 
which might have pulled out and fallen. All of the 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 47 

while Ed kept his place at the top of the line, leading 
a mule and riding — yet now he had dismounted, and the 
pack train followed him. 

"Careful, boys," shouted Hardy, "the easier we handle 
the pack the better it is ; now everybody take their time." 

Everything* and everybody was deathly still. The 
dudes had quit talking, and the guides and horse wrangler 
had quit their swearing. 1 felt a little lonesome in this 
new land, and believed I could get along if the boys 
swore a little. In fact, I would have much rather have 
heard them swear than the heavy beating of my heart. 
I was glad to see the front end of the pack disappear 
over the divide. 

Out there in Wyoming, on the top of the Rocky moun- 
tains, over the continental divide, rode the dudes. There 
was plenty of room on top although looking up there 
from a great distance it didn't appear to be. 

We were now in the midst of the snowcapped mountains. 
Ice and snow were all about us. We had a magnificent 
view ahead and behind us — in fact, in every direction the 
scenery was wonderful, grand and immense. We looked 
down. There were the wooded slopes below, and the mead- 
ows ; other mountains, a great panorama of natural won- 
ders. Some of the mountains were swathed with clouds, 
while other white ships of the sky floated over the valleys 
and slopes, forming huge shadows below, which were con- 
stantly chasing themselves across the vast stretches. The 
wind was blowing up here. It was cold and icy. It seemed 
to be coming from somewhere, going somewhere, and on 
its way it cooled the hot cheeks of the dudes and helped 
dry the sweat which their journey up had brought forth. 

Our hearts were beating rapidly. We were unaccus- 
tomed to life at such an altitude, possibly twelve to four- 
teen thousand feet. 

We could have remained and enjoyed the many, many 
sights, yet the trail led on ; ever on. We were now begin- 
ning to encounter the road down. 



48 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

The road down was mightily Hke the road up, only 
worse; and I can't say which I enjoyed most, the way up, 
or the way down, excepting that the road down made the 
heart beat less and was easier ; yet the encouraging thought 
of ever going to the top was absent. 

"Do we go down this ledge of rock with our horses?" 
shouted one of the dudes, as he stood bewildered and looked 
down, nearly losing his balance. 

"Oh, yes, come on — you'll have a lot of thrills — why that's 
a boulevard compared to where you shall go when hunting. 
Come on, boy ! Brace yourself, and watch your step," yelled 
Hardy. 

The dudes did. They were sweating so that they had 
removed their hunting coats and leather jackets. They had 
tied them to their horses ; and were now giving their hazard 
for what was in store for them. 

Shortly after starting down the mountains, on the other 
side of the divide, we noticed a new mountain stream. It 
had bubbled out of a huge snowbank and was running down 
the mountain. 

The trail which led down the mountain was practically 
the same as the one we had just come up on the other side. 
We followed the trail on down. We came upon some 
scrubby timber. We passed the scattering scrubby timber 
and rode into a forest of large spruce and pine trees. By 
this time the mountain stream had grown. It rushed along 
at a maddening pace, ever hurrying, like a great many peo- 
ple, to reach its level. 

About 5 o'clock we made our camp on the north prong 
of Mountain Creek. This was indeed a beautiful place. 
We camped on the edge of a small mountain pocket, sur- 
rounded by high mountains. 

The dudes were very tired, yet they were not as sore as 
they were at the end of their first day's ride. They had 
begun to be hardened. They slipped off of their horses 
with a considerable ease and pleasure. We unsaddled our 
horses and turned them loose to graze. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 49 

We went to the river and washed our faces and hands. 
The water was icy. Nobody suggested that we should take 
a swim. 

Dude Bill took out his fishing rod and some flies and 
walked the creek to fish. 

We were now camping in the game preserve. While we 
all could have enjoyed camp meat, instead of ham and eggs, 
bacon, and food of that kind, still we felt that as we were 
in the preserve, the law should be obeyed. Our guns were 
not sealed. Possibly they should have been, but as it hap- 
pened we left our camp at Libby Flats before the arrival 
of the forest ranger ; and on this account we were not able 
to have them sealed. It was just as well — they were empty 
and were carried without being put together. 

Ed busied himself with supper. In a little while his camp 
stove was puffing away in a normal condition. The smell of 
frying potatoes and cooking food filled the air. 

Dude Bill returned to camp in time for supper. He was 
very tired, yet there was a smile on his face. 

'T saw one of the most beautiful deer," cried Bill en- 
thusiastically, as he helped himself to a bowl of soup. 

*Tt was just around the bend of the creek. It was a 
beautiful deer — so very graceful. I watched it for quite a 
while. It was so pretty and innocent and seemed so uncon- 
cerned about everything — and yet it was constantly alert, 
perhaps watching for something, that actually — if I had 
had a gun, I don't think I could have possibly had the heart 
to have shot at it — my, it was a pretty thing." 

"Of course, you would not," interrupted a dude. And 
then another dude suggested that it would have been against 
the law to have killed it anyway. ''Well," added Bill, ''it 
was a very pretty animal and I watched it until it went off 
carelessly into the timber," 

"And you wouldn't have killed it had you had a gun?" 
asked Floyd, laughingly. 

"I most certainly would not," Bill answered, looking 
rather angry to think Floyd would so question him. 



50 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

*'Say, boys, sing!'' demanded Floyd; and the dudes sang 
to that old familiar tune of Auld Lang Syne : 

"It may be so, but we don't know, 
It sounds so very queer — 
We do not doubt your honest word, 
But your ky-bosh don't go here. 
AMEN r 

Of course, everybody joined in on the refrain and the 
mountains echoed and re-echoed with the grand amen. 

"Anyhow, fellows, it was a beautiful animal," said Bill, 
"and the scene was immense." 

"Here, Percy, have some more soup," shouted Ed. "If 
you don't step right in and help yourself, Percy, I am afraid 
that these roughnecks bane going to get ahead of you 
dudes." Percy laughed and suggested that he thought that 
he was able to take care of himself, even among these 
(pointing to the dudes and guides) roughnecks. He, how- 
ever, accepted the additional bowl of soup. 

"My," shouted Shorty, as he bit into a large, thick slice 
of ham, "I would certainly like to have some camp meat." 

"So would I," shouted Hardy, "but just let me catch any 
of you 'roughnecks' or dudes with any," and Hardy looked 
rather serious and seemed to mean just what he had said. 

"As to the dudes," vowed one of them, "I want to say 
that we have no intention, or desire, to kill any game in 
the preserve, or anywhere, before the law permits ; and I 
don't think the guides have any other such notion." 

We had a good dinner. Everybody was contented. We 
simply pulled away from the place where we were served 
on the ground to another place on the ground and made 
ourselves comfortable. Isn't it grand to be able to roll 
around on the ground and have no fear of soiling your 
clothing ? 

"Percy," whispered Joe, confidentially, "come along and 
let's get some boughs and we will have a fine bough bed 
tonight." 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 51 

"All right, Joe," said Percy quietly, adding that he 
thought that it would be wise not to make the bed on any 
pile of rock, or frozen manure, or logs or stumps. 

"Come on, Percy, bring your pruning knife," cried Joe, 
going in the direction of some small spruce trees. The two 
dudes slipped away from the others quietly and went off 
to the edge of the creek with a tarpaulin. In a short time 
they had a large quantity of spruce boughs. We then got 
two logs and placed them together, leaving room for our 
bed to go in between them. We took the boughs and placed 
them with the butt ends toward the bottom and lying each 
one on top of the other, thus forming a mattress. We had 
about three inches of boughs under our bed. Of course we 
were not so particular about putting the boughs down un- 
der our feet, although, had we, we would have found our 
bed much better and warmer. 

''There," said Joe, as he finished arranging the covers, 
"when we come in tonight we'll have a good bed." 

We walked over toward the stove. On our way we found 
Floyd and Bill. They were dickering with Shorty. Shorty 
had stretched his bed underneath a tree and was blowing up 
a pneumatic mattress. With this pneumatic mattress Shorty 
had the best bed of anyone in the mountains. It was soft 
and comfortable. It was very easy to handle. It could be 
carried on the back of a mule very easily by letting the air 
out of it. And then, when you would arrive at the place 
where you would like to camp, the mattress could be in- 
flated and. everything would be ready for your bed. Shorty 
was just blowing it up. After he had blown it reasonably 
full of air, and some of the dudes had tried it, I think 
Shorty could have sold the mattress then and there for a 
fabulous cash price. Shorty smiled at the various offers. 
He said that he was afraid if he would sell it to one dude 
all the rest would feel slighted ; and, rather, than incur any 
hard feeling he would dispose of the matter by keeping the 
bed for his own comfort. 

(A pneumatic bed is a very important piece of equipment 



52 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

to have when travehng in the mountains. Had we but 
known of the many, many rock piles on which we were to 
sleep, I am sure we would have all purchased one of these 
mattresses, which could be bought at any sporting store for 
approximately twelve dollars; yet we didn't, so could not 
enjoy its comfort in the mountains.) 

''Don't you dudes want to take a walk over to the big 
meadows? Perhaps we will see a herd of elk or deer," 
shouted Hardy. Of course, the dudes all wanted to go, so 
we walked across the creek, one of us falling in, wetting 
his feet and legs to his knees, and after a short walk through 
a dense wood of spruce and pine trees, came to a clearing. 

"Here is a dandy place — just keep still. Don't smoke, 
and we might get to see a big bull elk," whispered Hardy. 

We laid down upon the ground and were very quiet. The 
air was cold and crisp, yet not too cold to be pleasant with 
hunting clothes on. The stars were just beginning to show 
their bright faces. Hardy told us that he thought perhaps 
we were too late to see any elk, yet as it was such a good 
place, we might see any number. We waited in this hiding, 
which we occupied at the edge of the meadow, for a con- 
siderable length of time. We were disappointed in not see- 
ing any elk or deer. Finally we got up and walked around 
in the meadows, and there we found any number of places 
where elk had bedded down the night before. 

On reaching camp, Joe and Percy went around to their 
well-made bed and got into it. Floyd and Bill had to first 
find their beds and then, after finding them, find a suitable 
place to put their bed. 

Did you ever lie down and sleep on the ground in the 
mountains away from everything, excepting the wild ani- 
mals which live there? This our party did. And now that 
we reflect upon our venture, tell me, please, what wild ani- 
mal prowled in our midst? We were away from civiliza- 
tion, away from the answer to a call for help. H we were 
to be protected, we had to do it ourselves. Our guns were 
unloaded — the law of our country demanded this. Did the 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 53 

framers of the law think more of the wild animals than 
they did of their citizens? Of course not. Yet he who 
goes into these places must take such risks. In our imme- 
diate vicinity were mountain lions, grizzly bear, black bear, 
bob cat, mountain coyotes and wolves. Had we but been 
able to see in the dark places in the nearby wood, we might 
have seen a huge grizzly stand erect on his hind feet, snifif 
the air — and maybe, for all we know, he might have walked 
in our midst and smelled of our beds. At any rate we were 
not harmed by any of the wild animals and slept peacefully 
until morning. 

August Thirty, - - 

1917. 

CHAPTER IX. 

We arose this morning at an early hour and found the 
usual skim of ice upon the water bucket. It was thicker 
than usual ; and while we might have had colder weather, 
we believed that it was on account of the altitude. We had 
a heavy frost last night and our tarpaulins were covered 
with pure white. 

'']ot, that was a wonderful bed," shouted Percy, as he 
put his feet into a pair of warm socks which had spent 
the night under his bed. 

"Yes," answered Joe, 'Can see the application of the old 
rule : 'how you make your bed, so you sleep.' " So Joe and 
Percy dressed. All we had to put on was our socks, trous- 
ers, shoes, our leather coats and hunting coats. 

Oh, how wonderful it is to awaken in such a place. Our 
newly grown mustaches were filled with ice. We went to 
the mountain stream to wash : how invigorating ! The water 
is cold, fresh and pure ; and at times you may slip into the 
water, while standing on the rounded rocks and get your 
feet wet; and when you do, your feet appear wet to the 
bone with the icy water; yet in a little while they dry and 



54 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

you never remember of your wetting. It is so much dif- 
ferent in the low country. 

*'Oh," ejaculated Floyd, who was just getting up, stretch- 
ing the kinks out of his back and hips and grunting, ''Bill, 
I think this is the rottenest bed we have had since we have 
been on the trip — why, it is right over a pile of rock." Bill 
got up and he too grunted and stretched himself and rubbed 
his back and then his gray whiskers, which were beginning 
to show, giving him the appearance of a veritable tramp, 
yet he was called "Dude Bill." 

-Well, I'll be ," shouted Bill, as he looked to 

where dudes Percy and Joe had slept the night before. Joe 
suggested that there were plenty more of the boughs left 
on the trees, and that if Bill and Floyd would think about 
the matter the night before, they could enjoy a great deal 
of comfort. 

We had breakfast that morning in the usual way. It 
consisted of oatmeal, ham, bacon and eggs and hot biscuits. 
We had visions of mountain trout when Bill had left with 
his fishing rod, yet Bill had seen a deer in the wild; and, of 
course, he having become so interested in the deer just nat- 
urally couldn't fish ; so under the circumstances we forgave 
him and made the best of it with the ham, bacon and eggs. 

Our provisions were again put upon the animals. We 
were soon jogging along on to what we expected to be our 
permanent camp. 

We rode on through the mountains. We crossed the 
southern portion of the Yellowstone National Park. We 
had been in that portion of the park for some time. On our 
way we saw a big bull moose. The moose had been lying 
down out in a meadow. At first all we could see was his 
paddles. He finally got up and then we saw the full sized 
animal. He turned and looked at us, grazed and walked 
oflf into the timber. 

The dudes and Hal rode ahead and took their fishing 
equipment with them. About noon we reached what looked 
to be a good place to fish. We fished for a few hours and 



POUR DUDE HUNTERS. 55 

caught a number of trout. Bill got so interested in catch- 
ing a fish that he fell of¥ of a bank of the river into the cold 
water. My, but it was cold. It didn't make much difference 
to himi. He simply went on about his business and soon 
dried off. It would have been different in a lower country, 
yet here no one ever thinks of catching cold. Of course, 
too much exposure will cause a person to have pneumonia, 
and pneumonia in this altitude would be very severe indeed. 

After catching all of the fish we could carry comfortably, 
we mounted our horses and galloped on to the trail. We 
followed it for some distance at a lively gait, and caught 
up with the pack train. We crossed the boundary line of 
the Yellowstone National Park. It was marked by the 
erection of a number of poles at intervals of possibly three 
or four hundred yards. We crossed what is known as At- 
lantic creek, rode on, and forded the Yellowstone River at 
a place where it was about one hundred feet wide. The 
water was running very rapidly and the dudes rode across 
with their feet over the pommels of their saddles in order 
to keep their feet out of the water. Upon reaching the 
other side we had to dismount, as the bank was so very 
steep, and near its base there was quicksand. 

We v^rere now in an open hunting country, although 
the law upon elk did not release our guns until the first 
of September. There were any number in this very 
vicinity. We needed camp meat, yet our desire to be 
real sportsmen and obey the law, prevented us from 
violating the game laws. 

We rode on and joined the pack train. It was winding 
its way on toward a dense wood, following the meander- 
ings of Atlantic Creek. We rode into the wood and 
stopped our pack train. It was late. We had to camp 
somewhere, and this, while it was the poorest place 
possible to camp, was our stopping place for the night. 
The guides and horse wrangler unpacked the tired stock, 
and turned them loose to graze. 

Ed prepared supper and Hurricane Bill the mountain 



56 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

and rainbow trout, which the dudes had caught out of 
Yellowstone River. In a short time we had a good 
supper of fresh fish. The fish tasted very good. We 
were hungry and ate our share of everything. 

This was indeed the worst place we had camped since 
we started on our trip. It was on the banks of Atlantic 
Creek. The creek ran by with its monotonous dull roar. 
The ground was boggy about camp. 

We were very tired. Our guides built a campfire and 
the whole party sat around the fire. Hurricane Bill 
was sitting on his feet, warming his hands. Now Hurri- 
cane Bill has the reputation of having killed more big 
game than possibly any other man in the West ; and, of 
course, with that reputation goes an innumerable throng 
of experiences. 

"All right, Hurricane — now is the time to tell us how 
you roped that old grizzly bear," urged one of the dudes. 

THE ROPING OF THE SHE GRIZZLY. 

"Well, boys, it wasn't very much," began Hurricane 
Bill, as his dark brown eyes sparkled. "Well, I did rope 
a grizzly bear ; and I expect you dudes, like a good many 
others, would like to hear me tell about it — " and then 
he took a puff at his pipe and looked into the fire, as if 
he were calling back memories of the past, and with 
another drag: "It was in the fall of '98 — it was, my — 
how time does pass — now nearly twenty years ago. I 
was working for a cow company in Colorado. We were 
gathering up beef. We had gathered up all of the cattle 
in the pastures and were working in the gulches. It 
was in Wilson's gulch. We had been rather whooping 
it up — gathering up these cattle. I had just let out an 
extraordinary whoop, when something attracted my at- 
tention. 'There's a bear, boys,' says I. It was an old 
she grizzly bear; quite a large one. She was just taking 
her time, standing on her hind legs and appeared to be 
pretty well of the notion that she had about as much 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 57 

right there as any of the cow punchers. There were 
some trees and very little fallen timber. Well, none of 
us had a gun. We didn't have anything of that kind in 
our possession, so I says, 'here goes, boys, we'll rope the 
bitch.' She started up the side of a ridge, and as she 
topped the ridge I drew down on her with my rope. My 
horse wasn't a bit afraid of her and as she went over the 
ridge I caught her by the hind feet. Then this other 
fellow, my partner, he threw his rope. You know these 
grizzly bears have a great deal of 'savy.' Well, when 
he threw his rope, it struck all right but she caught it 
with her forepaw, one of them ; and then the rope slipped 
down over her shoulder — she tried to hold onto it. The 
rope tightened — he rode up a bit, and I held up, and we 
stretched her out. We then had a bear; and you know 
sometimes when a fellow gets a grizzly, well, he does 
have a bear, there is a question of what to do — we had 
old sister grizzly on the end of our ropes. 

"Of course, we had her all right — and we had roped a 
grizzly, and then came the question as to how to handle 
her after we had roped her. 'Well,' I says to my partner, 
'say, you ride around that tree, and I'll draw my rope 
tighter and we'll keep her stretched out.' He kindy 
looked a little sheepish and said finally, *all right.' He 
rode on around the tree, and then he tied liis rope. All 
of the time I was sitting on my horse keeping her 
stretched out. Of course, my horse wasn't a bit afraid 
of the bear. It was just like roping a steer. My horse 
reared back upon his haunches, and held the rope taut so 
that the bear could not do a thing. After we had the 
bear in this position I pulled out my pocket knife, and I 
said, 'here,' to my partner, 'you take this knife and cut 
the bear's ham strings.' Well, he seemed to hesitate, he 
was a little bashful. I guess he had a right good reason 
to be a little bashful, because if that rope would have 
slipped and that old she bear gotten loose, under those 
circumstances, well, I expect she would have made it 



58 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

right interesting for two cowboys at that time. 'Well,' 
I says, 'here you take this pocket knife of mine and walk 
up and cut her ham strings.' Well, I remember partic- 
ularly, that when I said ham strings, that boy's eyes cer- 
tainly did open wide, and you could have knocked them 
off with a stick; or, 'you had better take this knife, or 
get on this horse, but if you get on this horse, the horse 
might move and that would cause the rope to loosen up, 
and in that way we might let her go, and something 
might happen to us.' Well, he braced himself and took 
the knife, walked up and cut her ham strings. Of 
course, during this operation the old bear let out some 
of the most terrifying howls I have ever heard in my life. 
When he had cut the ham strings we had her in tow, 
at our mercy — she couldn't do anything to us. We then 
hiked out and got a gun, and shot her. She had a right 
fine pelt." 

"Say, Hurricane, didn't you feel a little skittish?" asked 
Percy. 

"Well, now," answered Bill, "I don't know but that I did, 
but you know, that was when I was young — there was so 
much excitement, and everything. We did it so quickly that 
we hardly knew what we were doing." 

"Bill, would you rope another grizzly bear, if you had a 
chance?" inquired another dude. 

"Oh, I suppose so, yet I believe I would think a consider- 
able about it. Of course, under the circumstances, it wasn't 
so bad, yet I can't help but think we were just a little bit 
foolish out there, not having any gun ; still, there was a tree 
there handy — we tied the rope around it and stretched her 
out. Everything worked all right, but if something had 
have happened ; or if the rope had have slipped, well, I guess 
there would have been two cowboys knocking on the pearly 
gates." 

A stump was thrown on the camp fire. It was full of 
pitch. As it burned, it sputtered and the eyes of another 
cow puncher grew bright. 




w 



w 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 59 

"Well," said Shorty Kelly, "I had a little fun once. I 
roped a big old gray wolf. My, but he let out a whoop when 
the rope struck him. Oh, how he bounced into the air! 
Whoopee! It was up and down. He was a big old wolf. 
In a little while I had him dashed to pieces. It was all over 
and there wasn't any trouble about it. He was just as mild 
as you please." And then Hurricane Bill added that he had 
had a lot of fun when he had roped a bob cat, and that the 
bob cat was jerked around in about the same fashion. 

"How did you feel," asked one of the dudes of Shorty, 
"when you had a wolf on your rope?" 

"Well, you wouldn't think much when you had a small 
animal like a wolf, or a bob cat — you know a horse is right 
strong and you can just jerk the eternal daylights out of 
anything like that — just let him bounce along on the ground 
a while and he will soon be peaceful and quiet ; give him a 
few good stiff jerks, well, you will be safe enough all right." 

"The best race I ever had," continued Shorty, "was when 
I roped an antelope. This one had one of its legs shot off, 
yet it was able to give me one of the merriest chases I have 
ever had. I finally got her roped all right, and tied down. 
It wasn't much after I roped her." 

Hardy came with a large arm of wood. He threw it upon 
the fire. In a little while it was burning very brightly. The 
old pitch stump sent out a hissing spray. 

"What's all the yelling and howling we hear over there 
in the mountains ?" asked one of the dudes, evidencing some 
alarm, 

"Oh, that's old Mr. and Mrs. Coyote, having a little party, 
I suppose. You will hear another bunch answering them 
presently," replied Shorty, smiling as he noticed the effect 
upon the dude. 

We listened, and as the campfire flickered and the old 
stump sputtered, we heard the coyotes answer. Their an- 
swer was a fiendish blood-curdling challenge. 

Shorty Kelly had been looking into the fire for some time. 
He had been whittling a stick. Doubtless the weird yells 



60 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

of the wild, to Shorty, like the songs of an old-time singer, 
brought back to him memories : the pure, sweet notes, the 
pretty faces of youth; the harsh and shrill yellings, scenes 
of tragedy. 

"You come up with a good many strange things in the 
woods ; and up here in this country, sometimes you have 
some thrilling experiences. One time when Ned Jones and 
I were up in the Park there was a mean old bear up there. 
He must have been shot, or something hurt him somewhere, 
for he certainly had a grudge against all the world and 
everybody. We were in camp. This mean old bear just 
came a-loping around where we were. He seemed to be 
in the notion of helping himself to somebody. As he came 
by Ned he threw a pillow at him, and after that Ned rolled 
up in the covers. Old Mr. Bear came right up to him. Ned 
says, 'He nabbed me ; he nabbed me ;' and old Mr. Bear bit 
him right through the thigh. He picked up the bed and 
ran off to the timber with it." 

"Ugh," said Floyd, "he was a mean old bear." 

"Oh, he wasn't the only mxcan one up here. Why once 
there were three freighters. They were camped at Turbid 
Lake. They had three wagons loaded with baled hay and 
vats. Two of the freighters slept on top of the wagons and 
one underneath. About midnight a big grizzly came into 
camp and grabbed the fellow under the wagon and started 
off with him. The two on top of the wagon yelled as loud as 
they could and threw sacks of oats and bales of hay on him, 
as he was dragging the fellow by the wagon. The bear let 
him go and the two men told him to come around to the 
wagon tongue and they would help him upon the load. He 
got to the wagon tongue, and each man took hold of his 
hands. They were lifting him up. The old bear made a run 
and grabbed him when he was nearly on top. The bear 
pulled him away from them and ripped himi open with his 
claws, so that he died the next day some time." 

"Why, didn't they shoot the bear?" asked Floyd. 

"We were in the Park. You know we never shoot any 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 61^ 

bears in the Park. It is against the law," Shorty said as he 
spat into the fire. 

"Well, I'll be d ," interrupted Floyd. "I'll be darned 

if I'd be traveling around through the Park without a gun.'' 

"Maybe you wouldn't, yet here you are right now in the 
midst of a bear country, in just such a position. If a mean 
old bear was to come up to you this minute, what could you 
do ? Nothing. Just try to get away or stand up and let him 
box you up the side of the head ; and you might slap back 
at him. Maybe you might, but if he hit you a good square 
one you'd never slap back at him or anything. I'll warrant 
that, they are so cussed strong." Floyd grunted, as if to 
say, "Well, I'll be," and Joe whispered to Percy something 
about as to where he had put his revolver. Percy informed 
Joe that it was some place in his war bag. 

"All right," said Joe, "it can stay there as far as I am 
concerned. I haven't any time to fight a bear with a revol- 
ver tonight. I'm going to bed in a little while. I'll just nat- 
urally take my chances." 

"Come on, Percy, and let us go to bed," shouted Joe after 
looking for a smoke, and failing to find it. 

"All right, Joe, where's our bed?" Percy replied, as the 
two tired dudes went in search of a bed. They struck a 
number of matches and went moping around through the 
woods, looking for their bed. They found it and spread it 
upon what they thought to be the ground, got in between the 
blankets and went to sleep. 

"Ed," said Floyd, after deciding that he had just as soon 
sit by the fire as to be cold and damp in bed, "did you ever 
get ahold of a cub bear?" 

Ed rather smiled and proceeded to tell Floyd that he had 
been in a number of camps where they had had cubs. 

"A cub bear. I just wish I could give every enemy I 
have, if I have any, a cub bear. Why they bane the mean- 
est and orneriest animal that ever lived." 

"Why? What's the matter with a cub bear?" asked 
Floyd. 



62 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

"Oh, nothing bane the matter," answered Ed, looking 
angry toward his friend, Floyd. ''Oh, nothing bane the 
matter with 'em, yet everything bane the matter. Why, 
the little devils will yell and cry all night long, as you never 
can imagine. The most miserable night I ever spent in 
camp was when they had a couple of cub grizzlies. They 
are the worst I ever saw in my life — if you dudes were to 
get any, I think, I bane 'yump my yob.' " 

Floyd laughed, and hoped Ed didn't have to "yump his 
yob" ; yet he hoped we would catch a cub. 

''What do you do here in the winter time," asked Floyd 
of Shorty. 

"Oh, I generally trap — trap coyotes, fox, and anything 
of that kind. I make a very good living at it. It is a sort 
of 'holing up' for the winter, and then when spring comes 
we start out on our summer parties." 

"What about trapping coyotes — how do you do that?" 
inquired Floyd. 

"Well," said Shorty, "that's quite a mystery. You have 
to be right foxy to catch them ; they are very smart. They 
will come and walk right around your trap, and step over 
it, yet they will not step into it, if they see it. You have to 
fix it so that they can't see it, and don't know where it is — 
you have to be right smart to do that, I'll tell you." 

"That you do," interrupted Hal. "I have had quite an 
experience trapping coyotes, and believe me they are the 
most foxy animal that I have ever met up with. They are 
a great deal cleverer, I think, than the fox himself." 

"Shorty, you were speaking about a mean old bear awhile 
ago; did you ever have any of them ever bother you?" 

"Yes, indeed. I dislike to admit it, but once I had an ex- 
perience with a grizzly which r-a-t-h-e-r 'got my goat.' " 
There was another mean old bear that came into our camp 
about midnight. He grabbed Ed Jones, the cook. When 
he grabbed Jones, I got out of bed, about eight feet away 
from him and yelled. We both yelled. I could not find 
anything to throw at the bear — and I'm right glad that I 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 63 

couldn't, for had I, it might have made him peeved, and he 
probably would have come for me in a minute and killed 
me. I picked up a 'tarp' and shook it at him and yelled as 
loud as I could. Finally he started to go away, but he went 
toward Ned Frost, and Ned hit him with a stick of wood 
over the nose, then he grabbed Jonesey. We were yelling 
as loud as we could, but as he (Jonesey) was in bed the bear 
was biting the bed clothes most of the time. As it was, the 
bear tore both of Jonesey's knees clear to the bone. I went 
over to my saddle and got my gun and as you know you are 
not allowed to have a gun loaded in the park — well, anyhow, 
under the circumstances, I loaded it, right or wrong, and 
started through the timber to get my horse that was pick- 
eted in a park quite a ways from camp. By that time the 
knees of Jonesey gave out and he could not walk, so he 
wanted the gun, in case the bear came back, as he was help- 
less. Well, I gave him the gun, and that was one time, boys, 
Shorty Kelly was scared. It was dark as pitch in the timber 
and I think I saw a big grizzly behind every tree. Yes, I'm 
a little ashamed to admit it, but I was just a bit scared, but 
I didn't have anything to protect myself with and that griz- 
zly was about as big as any I ever saw." 

"Shorty, what did you do with him?" asked Floyd. ''Did 
he die?" 

''Oh, no. We fixed him up the best we could and then 
took him up to the Lake Hotel and the Doctor took care of 
him." 

"What's a matter; aren't you fellows ever going to bed?" 
shouted c.ne of our party who had been kept away from the 
sweet land of dreams, what he thought to be, long enough. 

The campfire burned low, and presently our camp party 
was fast asleep. 



64 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

August Thirty-first, 
1917. 

CHAPTER X. 

We were awakened this morning in our carelessly laid 
beds by Hardy. He was chopping down a dead tree which 
he expected to use as stove wood. There was plenty of other 
wood lying on the ground, but he was so full of pep that 
he had to do something. 

All of the dudes vowed that they had spent the worst 
night they had ever experienced, although I know none of 
them thought or dreamed of anything until morning. 

We all went down to the creek and took a plunge. This 
plunge consisted of the dudes washing their faces and hands. 

We had breakfast this morning in the usual manner, ex- 
cepting we had rainbow trout. The rainbow trout tasted 
very good. It had been caught the evening before by the dudes. 

In a very short time our horses were saddled, stock 
packed, and we were on our journey. This time we fol- 
lowed a prong of Atlantic Creek. Atlantic Creek winds its 
way through a great many mountains, in which were elk 
wallows, bogs, and all sorts of water growths. 

"Isn't it queer, Joe," said Percy, as the two dudes rode 
along together, "to find all of this mud up here in the moun- 
tains ?" 

Joe thought it was, yet upon looking over toward the 
snow-capped mountains he could readily understand why all 
of the water. 

As we rode on we passed two other camp outfits. We 
were informed that they were hunters and were anxiously 
awaiting the first day of September, when they expected to 
hunt bull elk. 

We rode until about eleven o'clock. We passed through 
a great many clearings and forests. At this time we left all 
form of trail and rode into the mountains, which were very 
rough and wild indeed. We followed our guides. They led 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 65 

us on through the forest, around the mountain sides, through 
many more beautiful parks, the formation of which may be 
of interest. These parks are generally upon the slope of a 
large mountain. During some of the winters past this slope 
and another steep slope immediately above have become so 
filled with ice and snow that the weight of the snow and ice 
caused itself, when the thaw came, to slip off and come 
dashing down the mountain. These ice slides, or small ava- 
lanches, when they come dashing down, take with them 
everything in their path ; whole forests are cut off and wiped 
out, they being carried on down the slope. After nature 
has performed this job of clearing, the country is leveled off 
by the winds and rains, and the grass seed takes root and 
grows ; and here we have a park especially created for the 
creatures of the wild. 

"This certainly is an elk country," said one of the dudes 
to a guide. He was informed by the guide that it was one 
of the best places in the world for them ; practically, the best 
place in the world at the right time of the year. 

''There is plenty of grass here, and then the altitude is 
high enough to be cool," said one of the guides, ''and there 
are not many flies. Yet I see a number of these, what we 
call 'no-see-'em flies.' They might drive the elk higher up 
into the mountains — perhaps, up there," pointing, "around 
those rimrock. They will come down here tonight, possi- 
bly, and that's when they bed down, after they get through 
grazing," added Shorty. 

We continued our journey on through the deer and elk 
parks, climbing to a higher altitude, always following a 
mountain stream, until we reached a high pocketed valley, 
about snow line, where we decided to pitch our permanent 
camp. Here we dismounted and unpacked. We erected a 
cook tent, a dude sleeping tent, and three teepees for the 
guides. We found, where we had decided to camp, a num- 
ber of dead trees. We cut these trees down so that in case 
of a storm they would not blow over on our tents. While 
we were arranging our camp we looked over on a mountain 



66 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

side across the creek, a few hundred yards, and there saw a 
bull elk The elk stood in an opening a short time and 
looked at us curiously. He satisfied his curiosity and 
bounded into a patch of trees. 

All of the dudes were tired of travel. We had been trav- 
eling steadily since the 24th day of August. We were now 
at our permanent camp and in the midst of the hunting 
country Our guns were not sealed, yet it was the thirty- 
first day of August and the law of the state of Wyoming 
did not permit us to hunt elk until the first day of Septem- 
ber. We spent the afternoon about camp, getting our rifles 
ready, oiling and cleaning them and preparing and assorting 
our ammunition, so that we would be ready to go for a hunt 
early the following morning. 

"Now, doesn't that call for profanity?" shouted Percy, 
after he discovered that the clerk at the shoe store had put 
in the wrong size pair of shoes which he had especially pur- 
chased for mountain climbing. "Why, they are an inch and 
a half too short," added Percy, very much vexed. 

"Percy," said Ed, pacifyingly, "that certainly bane too 
bad— you can use my overshoes. They will keep your feet 
warm." And Percy thanked Ed, who, having looked very 
much as if he could wear the shoes which would not fit 
Percy, was presented with a pair of heavy mountain shoes. 
The guides then drove some hobnails into the shoes of the 
other dudes, and prepared them for a climb in the moun- 
tains. ,, '^ TJ A 

"We'll have to be as quiet as we can, boys, said Hardy. 
"Let us not disturb the elk if possible, and tomorrow we 

shall hunt." 

"Have you heard any of them bugle, Ed?" asked Shorty. 
Of course the dudes all wanted to know about the elk 
bugling. Shorty told us that this was the time for them to 
bugle; that elk had times for everything; a time when they 
bugled; a time when they grazed, and a time when they 
bedded down ; and that if we were to catch any particularly 
big elk, we would have to always study the nature of the 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 67 

animal, and learn his ways and that then we might find 
them. 

"Why, hunting is just as much of a science as anything 
else. You have to know animal life; have to know what 
they enjoy, what they do, in order to know where to find 
them — and that's just what we guides do out here in the 
mo-untains. We will show you elk of all sorts, and if you 
can shoot a gun you will undoubtedly get some very good 
prizes, for they are in this country," said one of the guides. 

Shorty had a two-fifty Savage rifle. He had cleaned and 
oiled it thoroughly. Hardy, a Newton ; Hal and Hurricane 
Bill, Winchesters ; Joe, a thirty-thirty Winchester ; Floyd 
and dude Bill, thirty-five Remingtons ; Percy, a thirty-five 
Winchester automatic. 

''What kind of a gun's that, Percy?" cried Shorty, as he 
looked at a pretty little rifle with which Bill had presented 
Percy. 

''Why, that is a thirty-five Winchester, automatic," said 
Percy, examining it. "I don't like the looks of the size of 
the shell. It appears to me that there is too much lead for 
the powder. It looks to be a wonderfully quick operating 
gun, but I believe it is too small, don't have powder enough." 

"Why, at two hundred and fifty yards, with that gun, 
Percy, I'd just as soon try to kill an elk instantly by spitting 
at him. You can't have any luck with that — the bullet is 
too heavy for the powder," said Shorty earnestly. 

"Now, isn't that a bit of lu.k — my shoes won't fit, and my 
rifle is too small. Oh, well, such is Hfe. Yet, I'm inclined to 
think that my luck will change, and I shall have to be very 
particular, and if I do, perhaps, I shall bag the biggest and 
best trophy. That's the way luck generally runs. Shorty, 
do you think I had better take it in the mountains with me?" 

"Oh, yes, you had better take it along with you. You will 
have shots with it. If you can shoot straight, why, of 
course it will bring down some big game if you hit it in a 
fatal place. If we see any fine prizes, I'll let you have my 
gun, but it's too bad you have that little old gun with you. 



tS FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

Didn't Hal tell you in his letter what guns to bring with 
you?" And Percy informed Shorty that Bill had told him 
that Bill knew just what to get — didn't want Percy to have 
to bother with the matter; and to avoid making a mistake 
he had purchased the guns, and yet, through a mistake, had 
bought a thirty-five Winchester automatic, thinking it the 
same as the thirty-five Remington automatic. 

"Of all the guns, the Newton is the best," said Shorty. 
**Of course, you can kill most anything with that Httle gun, 
but I wouldn't want to have to try to kill a bear with it ; yet 
you could kill a bear with it, if you were to hit it in the 
backbone, cut the spinal cord. That is about the most effec- 
tive place to strike a bear. If you run onto one you had 
better take a good deal of pains, if you shoot at him at all. 
Yet just cut the spinal cord and you will be safe." 

Dude Percy looked rather downcast, yet, he having shot 
a rifle in years past with a considerable niceness, took heart. 
He was glad to hear what Shorty had to say and, in a peril- 
ous moment to come, it served him very well indeed. It is 
wonderful how much valuable information a person can 
pick up if he just listens to those who know more about 
things than he does. 

"How do you know where to find these elk?" inquired 
Percy of Shorty. 

"Oh, why I know where to find them all right. That's my 
business. You'll find them right up there on that mountain 
over there, right close to timber line, in the edge of it, just 
out of the way so 'no-see-em' flies will not bother them; 
where it is cool and the air is fresh. You are bound to find 
them up there. We'll go up there tomorrow and we will 
more than likely find a whole herd of them, and if you will 
watch very closely you will see how they operate. You will 
find that a herd of elk always guard themselves by having 
out sentinels. There is always an old cow, at each end of 
the herd, when they are grazing, o-n duty ; and then a cow 
on each side. Now, whenever these cows hear anything 
out of the ordinary they give the alarm and that turns the 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 69 

whole herd in search of safety. These old cow elk are very 
wise. They watch ; they watch for grizzly bear, mountain 
lion, or anything which might harm them, and hunters. 
They can smell you. When you see an old cow stick her 
nose up in the air and sniff, then the elk, if they can get 
your wind, will be going from you. They can also see well. 
You want to be very careful not to let them wind you. Get 
your wind as we put it — for if they do, you can't get a shot 
at them very easily." 

''Where do you say the bulls stay ?" asked Percy. 

Shorty told him that they generally stayed off by them- 
selves, unless it was the time when they were running with 
the cows, and that at this particular time they would gather 
up as many cows as they could carry in their herd and would 
go along with them. 

"About that time, you will hear the elk begin to bugle," 
added Shorty, as he picked up an ax and began chopping a 
tree down for stove wood. 

"What's bugling?" inquired dude Bill, who was standing 
around listening. 

"Why that's their challenge. The old bull elk on one 
side of the mountain will bugle out his note of challenge to 
another bull, on the other mountain. It is their way of pro- 
claiming that they are king of all they survey. These big 
bulls have deep bass voices. The little bulls have high 
voices; we call them squealers If you hear a squealer, why 
you can generally always tell that he is not much over a 
five-pointer, but if you hear a big deep bass bugle, that 
seems to come from way down deep on the inside of the 
animal, why, that's a big bull, a big six-pointer." 

We spent the afternoon in this way, and, after having 
about the usual supper, walked into the mountains. We 
found a great many tracks of elk and bear, a number of 
fresh tracks. From these tracks it seemed as though the 
woods were simply full of elk. We didn't see any at this 
time. 

We were given our first instructions as to how our guides 



70 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

wanted us to conduct ourselves in the mountains while 
hunting. We were told that we were not to smoke, or use 
tobacco in any way, for the reason that the wild things in 
the mountain would smell the tobacco smoke a great deal 
quicker than they would the ordinary human being. We 
were told that we were to walk along, and keep close to our 
guides, and keep quiet and not to talk, because the wild 
things of the mountains could hear as well as smell, and 
not to shoot at anything until the guide told us to shoot. 
We were cautioned about shooting at the first elk that we 
would see, as it might be a chance to get a small one and let 
a big bull get away. 

We made some permanent beds for the dudes, and filled 
them well with boughs. We had reasonably good places to 
sleep, yet, while a bough bed sounds all right, I must con- 
fess I prefer any of the worst kind of mattress beds to 
them. They are softer than a rock pile, yet are hard 
enough after a day's tramp in the mountains. 

The dudes and guides played a few games of pitch after 
returning from our walk, yet the pitch game, while it was 
played with much care and study, and a considerable swear- 
ing — by, of course, the guides and horse wranglers — grew 
monotonous and we went to bed to dream of the big game 
we were to kill the following morning. 

September First, 
1917. 

CHAPTER XI. 

Prompted by our keen desire to go hunting, we awakened 
this morning very early, long before the sun had shown its 
face over the mountain tops. We were given, after eating 
breakfast, a large biscuit and a hunk of cheese. Each dude 
and his guide went into the mountains in search of a prize 
elk. 

The morning was cool and fresh. We had had a frost 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 71 

the night before and the ground was white. Shorty and 
dude Percy walked up the creek which ran by our camp 
site. We walked for five or six miles up and into the moun- 
tains, until the creek grew very small. As we proceeded up 
the mountains the heart of Percy beat very rapidly, and the 
altitude affected him so that he could take only a few steps 
without having to stop and rest. 

"Come on ! We'll take this game trail here and follow it 
on up," cried Shorty, "and find out what it leads to.." 

The ground was literally covered with elk tracks. It 
seemed as if a great herd had just passed ahead of us. The 
tracks were fresh. We followed these tracks on up the 
creek. They led into the timber, and then back into the 
game trail and back across the creek, and then again into 
the forest. Upon finding that the tracks led into the woods 
Shorty told me that it was useless fo.r us to go any farther, 
as we would be unable to find any of the elk in the moun- 
tains at this particular time of the day. He thought that we 
might happen to run onto some, yet it would be best for us 
to go back to camp for lunch and wait there until three or 
four o'clock, and then start on another hike. We did this 
and returned very footsore. 

Up to date we had been served bacon and eggs, ham and 
eggs, and then bacon and eggs and ham and eggs. It was 
getting very tiresome. Dude Percy was beginning to feel a 
little uneasy as to the matter of supplying the camp with 
meat. *'What if none of us are successful in bagging any 
big game?" thought he, with visions of feasting three times 
a day on bacon and ham. 

''Cheer up, Percy — tomorrow you will have plenty of 
fresh elk tenderloin. We shall have all of the meat you can 
possibly eat, and a lot more," said Shorty encouragingly. 

On by one the dudes and their guides returned to camp. 
They, too, had seen a great many tracks, but had not had a 
shot at an elk, nor had they seen any elk. They were very 
tired. We were served supper in the cook-tent. 

During our absence Ed had made a table out of pine 



n FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

poles, which he had cut from poles about three inches thick, 
cutting them in two in the middle and then flattening the 
ends so that they would lie level on a cross-piece, being in 
such shape that the top of the table would be supported by 
cross-bars or poles laid into notches he had cut into four 
additional poles he had cut for table legs. Over this Ed 
had spread an oil cloth, and on this table we dined in style. 
Dude Bill started a game of pitch. Everybody joined in 
the game. It was exciting for a while, yet very soon the 
dudes being tired, it grew monotonous, and everybody went 
to bed. 

September Second, 
1917. 

CHAPTER XII. 

This morning the dudes slept late. Their keenest desire 
for hunting had been worn off by their long tramp in the 
mountains the day before ; yet, in due time, they were up 
and went again into the mountains. 

Shorty and Percy had walked and climbed all morning. 
They had seen evidences of bear, coyote, deer and elk ; and 
tracks of the last two mentioned animals, yet they had not 
seen any elk. 

''Well," said Shorty, after stopping for Percy to rest and 
get his wind, "I suppose we had better go on back to camp. 
It looks as if we will not get any elk for several hours — they 
have gone into the timber again. We had just as well go 
back to camp for lunch." 

Percy was feeling very tired. His feet were wet. His 
shoulders were aching from carrying his rifle. He had car- 
ried it first upon one shoulder and then upon the other, until 
now he believed he had a boil upon each. 

Shorty and his dude walked along slowly back down the 
mountain side and in the course of an hour or so they 
reached camp. Everything was quiet and gloomy. Ed was 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 73 

busy cooking. He inquired if we had any meat. While we 
were informing him Hurricane Bill and Jo€ came in and 
told us of their experience in seeing tracks, yet no game. 
Bill and Hal came trudging in. They, too, had seen a great 
many traces of game but had not seen anything worth 
while. The dudes were all very tired and rather dejected. 
They laid down upon the ground and rested. 

''Well, you dudes had better sit up to your dinner," 
shouted Ed. 'Tt bane getting cold very shortly." 

The dudes complied with the request of Ed, and were 
served a very good dinner of hot soup, hot corn, hot bread, 
black coffee, and the usual meat — ham and eggs. 

''Oh, h !" cried one of the dudes. ''The same yester- 
day, today — shall I say forever : ham and eggs ?" Shorty 
and all of the guides vowed positively that we should not, 
yet the dudes were beginning to feel quite dubious. 

"Say, you dudes," shouted Percy, as he struck a match to 
his pipe, "our meat is beginning to run pretty low, and, 
while we dude hunters do not need any stimulant, yet I 
want to make a suggestion. I want to offer a prize for the 
first dude who kills a five-point elk, or better. Say we make 
it fifty dollars. Say that each one of the dudes turn into a 
general pot fifty dollars, for the dude who is successful 
enough to bring in the first five-point or better bull elk. Do 
I make myself plain?" 

All of the dudes thought that dude Percy had made him- 
self exceedingly plain, and, of course, as all of them ex- 
pected to win the prize, very cheerfully offered to pay their 
portion of it. 

"Hardy, did you hear that?" shouted Floyd to Hardy, as 
he proceeded to drink another cup of coffee. 

"I surely did, and I think, Floyd, you had just as well 
begin to figure on what you are going to buy with that 
money, for I am going to take you out where you will have 
a good shot at a bull elk right away." 

"Say, Hal! Where's Hal?" shouted Bill. And Hal 
showed his head around the corner of the tent and asked 



74 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

what was wanted. Dude Bill informed him of the prize 
and told him that he would fifty-fifty with Hal. Of course, 
then all of the dudes ofifered to do the same thing. 

It was agreed that the time should be taken of the exact 
moment each dude killed his elk by the guide and that the 
first dude to bag a five-pointer or better should receive the 
prize. 

All of the dudes were filled with the keenest of anticipa- 
tion. Joe and Floyd said something about the best five- 
pointer or better which a dude would want to have mounted 
and take home with them. Dude Percy said that he thought 
that as the possibilities would be that he would not get to 
kill but one he was going to take home the first bull he 
killed ; however, as each dude was going to kill the first five- 
pointer or better, as soon as lie got into the mountains, no 
further disposition was made of the prize. The dudes very 
quickly disappeared from camp. They all went in different 
directions, into the various mountains. 

Shorty and Percy had decided to go back up the moun- 
tain stream, which flowed by our camp. Floyd and Hardy 
had decided to go up that stream a few miles and then to 
take a game trail off to the right, crossing the stream and 
going up into another mountain, and there they expected to 
find their bull. In order to do this Floyd, Hardy, Shorty 
and Percy all walked along together up the stream. It was 
a gradual climb. In places the road was muddy and snowy ; 
in other places we climbed over loose rock, around boulders, 
and then through some fallen timber. We were walking up 
a game trail and approaching an opening, a small game 
park high on the mountain side. Floyd and Hardy were in 
the lead. I looked immediately ahead and saw Hardy nudge 
Floyd, and point. Upon looking in the direction in which 
Hardy was pointing, we saw a beautiful bull elk standing. 
His right side was facing us. ''Go ahead and shoot, Floyd," 
whispered Percy. Floyd cocked his gun and raised it. He 
took aim — fired ! He fired again, and again. Percy raised 
his rifle and fired. The elk bounded into a timber patch. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 75 

and yet acted as if he had been hit. He went on toward 
the top of the mountain. 

"Come on, Floyd, let's go up into the mountain and get 
that bull," whispered Percy, as he put in another load in 
his rifle. Percy and Shorty ran on up to where they 
thought the elk had gone. We went over loose rock, up, in 
a very high altitude. It was fast telling upon the heart of 
Percy. He had to stop to rest. Floyd did not seem to hear 
Percy, or at any rate went in another direction. Percy and 
Shorty ran on after resting. After climbing a few hundred 
yards, which seemed to Percy a very long, long way, they 
came into another opening, or clearing, and upon looking 
up and over a number of rocks, possibly a hundred and 
fifty yards away, they saw the bull elk. He was standing 
there looking a little dazed. 

Have you ever hunted all day for something, and then, 
upon finding it, become so excited that you could not shoot 
it? Well, now, this was the case with Percy. He had 
climbed high in the mountains on his quest. He had found 
it. He had a most excellent opportunity to bag a large bull, 
yet he was breathing heavily. He was nervous and excited. 
He raised his gun. It weaved from one side to the other. 
He fired ! 

"You didn't even hit the mountain," whispered Shorty, 
disgustedly. "Try it again, old boy — now calm yourself." 
Percy fired again, and this time, while his ball hit the moun- 
tain, it did not hit the bull elk, and then Shorty gave Percy 
a friendly ''cussing," and Percy said something about his 
gun, and borrowed Shorty's rifle. 

"All right, take my gun. You can't blame it on that gun, 
if you don't hit it," Shorty said, laughing, as he handed 
Percy his gun. Percy took the rifle, which he had never 
shot before. He was breathing heavily; still nervous and 
excited. If there ever was a young man in the world who 
had the "buckaggie," Percy had it and the worst kind; and 
the sad part of it was that he was beginning to realize that he 
could not control himself under the emergency. Notwith- 



76 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

standing this, he raised the rifle which Shorty had let him 
have. It wavered, yet not so much- He took aim — fired. 
This time there was a splash in the mountain side imme- 
diately below the heart line of the bull. The bull then 
bounded, made a couple of jumps. Percy fired again. This 
time it was with greater caution. The elk collapsed and 
rolled down the mountain side. 

"That's the time you got him. Don't shoot again, Percy 
— he's as dead as he will be a thousand years from now," 
shouted Shorty, smiling. "By thunder, you can shoot a gun 
— but of all the 'buckaggie !' " And then Shorty laughed 
until he was nearly out of breath and stood on first one short 
leg and then the other. While Shorty was laughing Percy 
gained his wind, and the two started for the place high in 
the mountain where the elk had fallen. The path Shorty 
and Percy took led over a number of large boulders, and 
loose rock, around several yawning gulches. Percy could 
only go a few yards and then he would have to stop. Shorty 
went on. While Percy was getting his breath, resting, look- 
ing up the side of the mountain, he saw that Shorty had 
already reached his prize and was rolling it down the 
mountain side. The bull had just rolled up against a large 
rock and lodged. Percy climbed on up to where the elk lay. 

There before Shorty and his dude lay a magnificent ani- 
mal. It was as big as an ordinary mule. It was fat, and 
had every evidence of having just previously enjoyed good 
health. There was a Httle trickle of blood coming from the 
neck, while quite a current of blood flowed from a place 
behind the left leg, immediately in front of the heart. 
There was a hole there about as large as a lead pencil 
would fill. 

"Come, Percy, give me a lift," shouted Shorty, and the 
two took hold of the hind legs of the bull and turned him 
around, pulled him out from behind the rock and rolled him 
on further down where he lodged behind another boulder. 

The excitement of this dude over his conquest ran high. 
He was careless with his step. He had taken off his leather 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 11 

coat and hunting coat. He had tied them around his hips, 
tying the arms of each in a hard knot, around and in front 
of him. He then hurried on down to the bull. On his way 
he slipped and rolled and was stopped at the edge of a ten 
or fifteen-foot drop by his coat catching on the end of an 
old tree. He recovered and walked on carefully. 

Floyd and Hardy came to the scene. 

"It's a five-pointer, all right. There! One, two, three, 
four, five — it has five points," said Hardy. *Tt's not a very 
i^ood one, but it has five points all right on each side." 

''I wish to congratulate you, Percy," said Floyd, "but I am 
anxious to know if any of my bullets are to be found in the 
elk." 

"All right, Floyd ; we'll just look and see." 

In the meantime Shorty had taken out his hunting knife, 
and had cut into the animal for the purpose of bleeding it. 

The two dudes then examined the elk carefully. They 
found a hunk of lead in the neck, and upon picking it out 
it appeared to be the bullet of a thirty-five Winchester auto- 
matic. 

"That's your first bullet, Percy," said Floyd, as he handed 
him the bullet. "Keep it as a souvenir ; the first bullet you 
have ever shot into a bull elk." 

"I can readily understand how I happened to hit the bull 
in the neck. You know my gun is very hard on the trigger, 
and I pulled it off to the right, the first time I shot at the 
bull." 

Shorty and his dude then rolled up their sleeves, above 
their elbows. Hardy and Floyd left in search of another 
bull. 

"There, Percy; hold those front feet apart," said Shorty, 
as he started an incision down its front. Percy took hold 
of the front feet and held them apart. The two of them 
then cleaned the elk, and propped it open, and left it in the 
mountains to cool. 

They took out the liver of the bull, so that we would have 
some fresh meat at camp. They also took out the heart, and 



78 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

through the center of this heart they found a rifle hole large 
enough to put three fingers in. The two-fifty Savage bullet 
had gone through the heart and then it appeared to have 
exploded on the other side. It was the notion of Shorty 
that the elk had met instant death. 

By this time the shadows had crept down the slopes of the 
mountain range which lay between Shorty and his dude and 
their camp. Behind these huge mountainous banks of green, 
and peaks of desolation, the sun was rapidly sinking, send- 
ing flaming banners across the sky. It had begun to grow 
dark. Percy carried the rifles and Shorty carried the liver 
of the elk, which, possibly, weighed fifteen or twenty 
pounds. They walked on back towards camp. 

''Come on, Percy. You won't have much time to stop and 
blow," cried Shorty to his weary dude. "We must hurry, 
or we will be in danger of being caught in the dark. It will 
be dangerous for us to be here then — you are liable to stick 
your eye out any minute or fall, so come on !" 

Percy picked up the guns and hung them over his sore 
shoulders, and started on. They walked, and slid, and 
walked some more, for a mile or so. They came to a clear- 
ing and sat down and rested. While resting they heard a 
six-point bull elk bugle. It bugled a number of times. 

''Do you hear that challenge?" said Shorty. "Now, let us 
not say a thing about this and tomorrow morning we'll slip 
up and get that bull. He must be a dandy specimen." 

"All right," whispered Percy. 

Oh, how tired he was ! How his shoulders ached ! He 
thought the rifles would surely crush him. 

They walked on until they reached a deer park and there 
they sat a while and watched something, which turned o.ut 
to be a large white rock. They thought it was ano-ther bull elk, 
as they always look white against a dark background. They 
got up and walked on. Oh, how his back and shoulders did 
ache, yet he was very happy. He had been successful. He 
had obtained a prize and camp meat ; and then he was very 
proud to think he had killed the first bull elk on the hunting 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 79 

trip. Of course, he didn't know that it was the first one, 
although he felt it must be. His luck had surely changed. 

"Powder River!" shouted Joe. "Show blood, Percy, if 
you want us to beHeve your story," greeted Percy and 
Shorty as they came into camp and presented themselves for 
inspection. Notwithstanding the fact that Percy and Shorty 
liad stopped at the mountain stream and had endeavored to 
wash the blood from their hands and arms, they looked as 
if they had been in one of the most villainous murders. 
They were bloodstained from head to foot. So they went 
down to the mountain stream and washed with soap and 
cold water. 

Upon our return to camp we were served with hot soup, 
coffee, ham, biscuits, hot corn and tomatoes, and then we 
had some raspberry jam for our hot biscuits. It was indeed 
a pleasure to see Shorty eat jam and biscuits. My, my, 
what a capacity that boy had for jam and biscuits ! How 
he did enjoy a large hot biscuit, covered with butter and 
jam ! He stopped his biscuits and jam, and cut off a few 
slices of fresh liver. He fried them. It tasted very good as 
a change. Of course, all of the dudes had a taste. 

"Well, Percy," shouted dude Bill, "tell us all about it." 
Of course, Percy had to tell again how the elk had been 
killed, and when Percy had finished telling how he had been 
seized with a fit of "buckaggie" and could not, for a mo- 
ment, control himself, to the extent of hitting the mountain, 
he was amused to hear the dudes sing that grand old tune : 

"It may be so, but we don't know 
It sounds so very queer. 
We do not doubt your honest word. 
Yet, your kybosh don't go here. 
AMEN!" 

"Yet he shot him right through the heart," shouted Floyd, 
laughing. "I suppose you did it on purpose? Just natur- 
ally picked out the heart and then put a keyhole in it." 
And Percy vowed that that was just the thing he had done. 



80 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

''Ready, boys, sing," shouted Floyd, as he led, in a sonor- 
ous voice, the above song. 

"Well," said Percy, ''that's the story of how it happened; 
but what did you dudes do?" 

Joe had been sitting quietly by. An air of disappointment 
appeared to hover over him. 

"What time did you kill that bull elk, Percy?" asked Joe. 

"It was just a few minutes after four," answered Percy. 
And then Joe said that it wouldn't have made any difference, 
as he had seen a couple of real good bulls about six o'clock. 
He told the dudes that he and Hurricane Bill had tramped 
into the mountains a long way ; and that he was very tired. 

"Boys, that Hurricane Bill is some goer. He'd just keep 
on going, and whispering back, 'Come on, Joe ; keep right 
behind me, Joe.' We would go up one mountain and down 
another, around one side and down another, and then up. 
Finally he said, 'There, Joe ; see that !' I looked and saw 
the end of an elk. I fired. Just then I saw another one. 
Bill says, 'There he is, Joe ; shoot again,' and I shot at an- 
other one. The first one just seemed to stand there. I 
thought I had struck him in a fatal place and I would wait 
a moment for him to drop. Why, I could have knocked the 
eternal daylight out of him, but I was going to get the two 
of them. Well, I shot the second time at the second bull 
and expected to walk over and find my first and second 
bulls. I walked over to where my first bull should have 
been, and he wasn't there. I then walked over to the place 
vv^here the second bull should have been, and he wasn't there. 
1 couldn't find any trace of blood, or anything. I can't 
understand it, as I thought I hit the bull squarely. Well, 
we didn't get anything, but it certainly gives you a thrill 
v/hen you take a shot at a bull elk in the mountains. I can 
readily understand how a fellow would get the 'buckaggie,' 
all right. I didn't seem to have any of that at the time, did 
I, Hurricane?" said Joe, as he turned to Hurricane Bill. 

"No, Joe," Hurricane Bill replied, "you never had the 
'buckaggie' — why, boys, Joe never seemed to get tired, he 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 81 

just kept a-coming. He didn't have a very good shot. Each 
time he shot, the elk looked as if it had been hit. The first 
one, I believe, had Joe thought that he had not struck him 
in a fatal place he could have shot again. Well, Joe, that's 
too bad ; tomorrow we'll go out and see if we can't get a real 
good bull." 

''Bill," inquired one of the dudes, "dude Bill, what kind 
of luck did you have?" 

"Well, I have had a good deal of scenery. I went high up 
into the mountains. Way over there on that mountain side 
over there. Way over on top. Hal and I went around some 
of the most hazardous rim rocks I ever saw in my life." 

"Why, that dude was about to commit suicide this after- 
noon, by accident, of course," interrupted Hal. "He was 
going to jump from one rim rock to another. Why, it was 
several hundred feet. It didn't look that distance to him 
and he was just going to jump when I cautioned him." 

"That's the way of it, Joe, and when I think about it, it 
almost gives me the shivers. I was standing right on the 
edge of the rim rock, just ready to jump — it was a long 
ways down. I saw the bottom — it seemed quite close — I 
was going to jump when Hal yelled, and thank goodness! 
Outside of that I saw some wonderful country. I saw a 
number of tracks and real fresh ones, too, but I didn't see 
any bull elk. We certainly did go a long ways and I am 
mighty tired. Come on, fellows, and let's go to bed," said 
Bill, grunting as if he were very tired. 

Dude Bill stepped out of the cook tent to take a look at 
the weather. It was threatening. It was cold and chilling. 
He turned presently and passed around the cigars and 
cigarettes. The dudes and guides had remained in the cook 
tent. Ed had lighted it with candles. 

"Joe," said Hurricane Bill, encouragingly, "you don't need 
to feel so badly about not getting those elk. We'll go back 
out there in the morning, where you shot, and perhaps, 
somewhere, we will find the first bull — you undoubtedly 
killed him." 



82 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

"We'll try and do it," answered Joe, ''but upon thinking 
it over, I might have missed him altogether, yet I shot 
right at him. I thought I had killed him at the time, yet, 
maybe I missed him — I had to shoot very quickly; and 
then I tried to get the two of them. The next time I shoot 
at a bull elk I am going to keep on pumping lead into him 
until I knock him down. I am not going to take any 
chances." 

"I guess that's the best way to do," said Hurricane Bill. 
'These elk are very hardy; they can take a lot of lead. 
You have to strike them in a vital place to knock them down ; 
and if you don't knock them down they will get off in the 
timber and you will lose them." 

The dudes were all tired and sore, so they went to bed. 

Dude Percy was so tired and stiff he could barely get his 
clothing off, yet he was very happy. He had been success- 
ful, very successful in killing the first bull elk. As he went 
to bed he wondered if his trophy would be there in the 
morning, and how he would ever find it; and would some 
old bear come along and devour it, or eat enough of it to 
spoil it. 



CHAPTER Xni. 

The third day of September came out there in the moun- 
tains at different times to the various dudes. To one at a 
very early hour. There was Joe ; he was a farmer and used 
to being up and doing early in the morning. He was 
usually up early, yet, this morning, he slept late. There 
was Percy. He had told Shorty the night before that he 
would be up early and that they would go out in the moun- 
tains and get the bull which they had heard bugle. There 
was Floyd — Floyd and Bill — they both had enjoyed a useful 
night's rest, after a long tramp in the mountains the day 
before. And then there was Hardy. My, what a hardy 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 83 

sort he was. He was always up and doing; up early and 
late. He had time for everything and everybody. 

This morning had Joe and Percy been awake at an early 
hour they could have seen a very hardy individual stop at 
the door of the dude tent and walk over to the bed of Floyd 
and awaken him. They could also have heard him whisper 
to Floyd that if he would get up he would find a bull elk a 
short distance up the creek. Of course, under all of the 
circumstances, Floyd, upon receiving such an invitation, got 
up and dressed. This was no very big job, as all he had to 
do was to put on his socks, his shoes and his hunting coat. 
Floyd then grabbed his thirty-five Remington automatic 
and the two started out into the frosty air. They went up the 
mountain stream which flowed by our camp a couple of miles. 

Floyd and Hardy walked on quietly until they came to 
the edge of the timber at the mountain park through which 
Shorty and his dude had passed the night before. At the 
edge of the wood across the park, possibly one hundred and 
seventy-five yards away, they saw a beautiful twelve-point 
bull elk. 

"Powder River ! Wapiti !" shouted Floyd as he awakened 
Joe, Percy and Bill, upon returning to camp. There was a 
smile upon his face, and he beamed first at one dude and 
then another, as he drew something white from his pocket. 

"Say, boy, aren't these tusks dandies!" cried Floyd as he 
presented a pair of bull elk tusks to the other dudes for 
examination. 

"That is a wonderful pair of teeth," said Hurricane Bill, 
"Fll wager that bull has a fine head." 

The tusks were passed around and everybody proclaimed 
that they were the best set they had ever seen. How Floyd 
was pleased ! He was delighted. 

"Well, Percy, I didn't kill the first five-pointer, but Fve 
certainly killed the first six-pointer — and I have the most 
wonderful pair of antlers I could imagine. It is a beautiful 
animal, boys." 

"Floyd, I want to go up and see him. Let us all go up 



84 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

and take a picture of it. I know it will be one of the best 
trophies we will get on the trip. Those certainly are fine 
tusks. Look how well they are marked! They have an 
eye on each one, and see how they are worn down," spoke 
one of the dudes. Floyd smiled again and looked mightily 
well pleased at what he had done. 

"Floyd, tell us all about it. Tell us how it happened," 
said one of the dudes. 

Floyd smiled and said that it was a simple little thing; 
that all he had done was to go out in the mountains and 
shoot it. 

"Come on now, Floyd," demanded another dude, "tell us 
all about it." 

"Well, boys, it was all on account of Hardy: he came 
around to the dude tent this morning, while the rest of you 
were asleep. He told me that if I would go with him he 
would show me a fine bull. We went out into the deer park, 
right up there, just a little way, about two miles, you 
know where it is, Percy?" (And Percy said he knew.) 
"Well, we walked on up there and there about one hundred 
and seventy-five yards away I saw the bull. Hardy pointed 
him out to me. I took aim and fired. I think I fired two or 
three times. I believe I hit the bull each time. He then 
walked over to a tree. I fired again and downed him. I 
believe the first shot would have killed him, as he bled so 
much from it." 

All of the dudes joined hands, and, gathering around their 
friend Floyd, sang the usual refrain, suggesting that it 
might all be very true, etc., while Floyd declared that he 
had given the dudes a true account of how it happened and 
that we could go and see it up there ourselves. 

We hurried through breakfast. Shorty caught some mules 
and our saddle horses. We could have ridden up to where 
Floyd had killed his bull, yet we were so eager to see the 
bull, we all walked up the creek as if we were going to a 
fire. 

The sun was shining very brightly this morning. The 




I— t 

Q 



Q 

O 

w 

Q 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 85 

air was cold and fresh. Snow lay on the ground on the 
north side of the mountains. We walked on up to the deer 
park, and there we saw a magnificent specimen. There was 
a twelve-point bull elk lying upon the ground, dead. Of 
course, it had a pretty head — it was a wonderful specimen, 
and we could indeed use the meat ; and Floyd in the days 
to come will look upon it, over his fireplace doubtless, and 
enjoy the happy thought of that time in his youth when he 
was able to climb the mountains ; that time when he was 
able to kill the prize bull elk, on the hunting trip in Wyoming, 
with his friends. Bill, Joe and Percy ; but as I saw that 
beautiful animal lying there dead, with the flies gathering 
around its carcass, it rather grieved me ; and I know it 
grieved Floyd and Bill and Joe, to think that in their sport, 
the life of this harmless creature of the wild had been taken. 
Of course, it had been cut open and cleaned. Hardy and 
Floyd had done that. 

Hardy and Floyd busied themselves in preparing and 
taking care of their fresh meat. 

By this time Shorty came along with the horses and mules 
and on rode Percy and Shorty into the mountains to find 
their bull. Shorty had brought his pet saddle horse, Dixie, 
for Percy to ride. Now, Dixie was a beautiful little mare. 
Shorty was very proud of Dixie, and he had let his friend 
Percy ride her. She was an easy rider. A pretty little 
black pony. They rode on up the mountain talking. 

''Shorty, how do you know where to find this bull elk of 
mine?" asked Percy. 

"Well, Percy, we'll find it, all right." 

'T do not doubt that. Shorty, but how are you going to 
locate it? What do you go by?" 

*Tt is like this, Percy. I know the mountains, you the 
city. If you had been to a house in the depth of the city, 
you could go there. It is just that way with me out here 
in the mountains. I know where to go. There would be 
more trouble for me to find a house in the city than the bull 
elk in the mountains." 



86 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

We came to a place in the mountains where the water 
had run down the mountain side and cut a deep narrow ditch 
in the ground, places about two feet wide and eight to ten 
feet deep. Upon approaching one of these holes, Percy- 
thought that Dixie did not see the hole; and just at that 
time he jerked at the bridle rein. Dixie, not being used to 
such treatment, threw her head into the air and missed 
seeing the hole. She fell into the hole and rolled over on 
Percy. Upon the horse falling, Percy placed his hands on 
the pummel of the saddle and threw his feet into the air 
and away from the horse, yet the horse rolled on his left 
arm. He got up very happy to find that he could move it. 
Shorty stopped and got off his horse and took hold of the 
left arm of Percy, and examined it to see if it was broken. 

''Come on, boy, you are not hurt much," cried Shorty. 
"You had a right narrow escape — now just give Dixie a 
chance and you'll be safe enough. Why, she wouldn't have 
fallen had it not been for your jerking her. I broke her 
tender mouthed — just go easy on the rein, and you'll be all 
right." 

Percy got back upon Dixie and on rode Shorty and his 
dude into the mountains. They rode until they came to a 
place where it was impossible to ride further horseback. 
They then tied their horses and mules and climbed on foot. 
They took a saw with them and a hand ax ; and in the 
course of an hour or so they had the elk quartered and 
carried down to the horses. It was a job — carrying all of 
this meat down from the high place in the mountains ; and 
then it was another job tying it upon the back of the mules. 

The law of the state of Wyoming is very strict in this, 
that it requires all of the hunters to care for any of the 
game they kill in the mountains. They are to take the 
meat to camp and use it. It is a felony in the state of 
Wyoming for a person to leave a bull elk carcass, or the 
carcass of any big game, in the mountains to waste. Of 
course, we needed the meat and we brought it all in, as 
well as the head and antlers. The hind quarters on the back 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 87 

of one mule and the forequarters on the back of another 
mule. 

Shorty and his dude rode on back to camp. They reached 
camp about noon. They had done a big day's work. 

Floyd and Hardy had returned to camp with their meat. 
We now had all of the meat we could use for the next 
several days, and some to jerk. 

We sat down to a dinner of fried elk tenderloin. Now, 
fried elk tenderloin is a very good meat to eat in the moun- 
tains. It is not as good as corn-fed beef, but it is about as 
near that kind of meat as any meat I have ever eaten. It 
was very good. We all enjoyed it very much. We ate 
any number of pieces at a meal. 

"How many pieces of elk meat did you eat, Shorty?" 
asked Floyd. And Shorty smiled and said that he had 
eaten six or seven that he knew of, yet he didn't remember 
exactly; and that it was so very good, he would just help 
himself to another piece. 

We were slightly lonesome for dinner. Joe, Hurricane 
Bill, Dude Bill and Hal were not with us, they having re- 
mained in the mountains. 

"Well, Shorty, how do you prepare a scalp?'' asked Percy 
as he took a good seat to view the operation, after our lunch 
had thoroughly settled. 

"It is a hard thing for me to tell you. Come over a little 
closer and you can see." Percy walked over closer and sat 
upon the ground while Shorty whetted his knife. 

"The first thing, you skin it over the shoulders, leaving 
the head ; then you skin around the horns, like that, see," 
said Shorty, as he stopped to illustrate and sharpen his 
knife ; "and then you take your knife and cut the skin away 
from the skull, the head and the lower jaws as well, being 
very careful when you cut the skin around the eyes ; next 
over the nose ; see," and Shorty held up the specimen. 

"Just a minute. Shorty ; let me take those tusks out," 
shouted Percy. Percy took out his pruning knife and dug 
the tusks out of the right and left front sides of the lower jaw. 



88 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

Shorty went on preparing the head of the elk and soon 
had removed the skin of the elk from the head. 

"Why, they are very good teeth," said Shorty, medi- 
tatively, as he passed them over to Ed, who had stopped his 
work to examine the tusks. Ed took them and studied them 
carefully, saying that the teeth "bane much better than the 
heads bane," also stating that while they were not as good 
trophies as the tusks of Floyd, yet they were a very good 
pair. 

"My goodness. Shorty, that's a big job,'' said Percy, as 
he noticed Shorty was again working on the elk head. He 
was now fleshing the hide, cutting the meat off of the hide ; 
and then the skull had likewise to be fleshed. 

"Yes, it is quite a job to prepare an elk for the taxi- 
dermist. The better it is prepared, the better mount you 
will get," and Shorty kept on cutting the flesh away from 
the skull, so that his dude would have a first class mount. 

"Of course," added Shorty, "after you take the skin off 
of the top portion of the mouth and the skin off of the jaw, 
then you take off the lower jaw — like this," and Shorty 
pulled the lower jaw off and apart, "and then you cut out 
the tongue ; and then you can take a saw and separate the 
skull, so that you can carry it on horseback." 

"Say, Shorty," shouted Percy, "what's a matter with the 
hide? Can't we use that? Have it tanned?" 

"Well, it would make a pretty good rug, but you see you 
have taken off a great deal of it for the mount of the head 
and shoulders. H you do not care to mount the head of the 
next elk you kill you can have a rug made out of the hide. 
Yet the rug would not be as good as a bear, or a fur animal." 

The preparing of the heads took most of the day as far 
as Floyd and Percy were concerned. They were very tired, 
and were very glad for the opportunity to rest. Percy 
found a very comfortable seat on the bed of Shorty and a 
book which Bill had brought with him. Floyd also found 
a book, and these two dudes read most of the afternoon, 
while the other dudes did the hardest of work imaginable — 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 89 

hunting in the mountains. Of course, any number of times 
Floyd and Percy would get up from their books and take a 
look at their respective trophies. After the heads were 
skinned out the hides had to be salted, the salt rubbed into 
the hides. The skulls also had to be salted. With this 
preparation the hides were stretched out to dry and the 
skulls and antlers piled in a convenient place near camp. 

*'Joe, did you have any luck?" shouted Percy as Joe and 
Hurricane Bill came to camp. The two were tired and did 
not appear particularly elated, although there was a smile 
on the face of Joe. 

"We saw a great many things," said Joe, continuing: "a 
bull moose — these bull moose are rather peculiar. They 
don't give a rap whether they give you the road or not. 
They have a notion of their own about their rights, and 
look a great deal as if they know that they are protected." 

"The cows," interrupted Shorty, who had come up to the 
dudes to hear the news, "will give you the road, but the old 
bulls, they have a different disposition." 

"We were out there in the woods," Joe spoke on, "in the 
mountains, and there stepped out old Mister Bull Moose. 
My, he was a big animal. He had a magnificent head and 
paddles. I could have killed him easily. He was standing 
there, standing still, looking at me. I had my gun all 
ready, when I heard Hurricane Bill say: 'Joe, don't shoot. 
Don't shoot!' I stopped and lecalled the law upon the Bull 
Moose. I stood there and watched old Mr. Bull Moose — 
he didn't care whether I did or not. While I was watching 
him he walked off casually into the timber. Pm mighty 
tired, boys ; we've tramped and climbed everywhere." 

"Whew !" cried dude Bill, sighing wearily, as he reached 
camp, "this has been a terrible day on me, fellows. Pm dead 
tired. We have been up one mountain and down another. 
When we were on top of the mountain we could look down 
and see elk, about a mile below, and then when we would 
get down where we thought they were we could see them 



90 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

up above. It was up and down, up and down. Oh, my 
goodness! I'm all tired out." 

"You Dane hungry, Bill?" said Ed, pleasantly. ''You 
bane better sit down and have a hot bowl of soup. It bane 
very nice." Bill dragged himself down to the river and 
washed. Upon his return he was served a hot bowl of 
oyster soup and supper. 

This oyster soup was made from canned oysters and ''tin 
cow," and while it may not have been the best oyster soup 
in the world, yet it tasted very good. 

"Well," said Bill, stretching, "you boys can play pitch, go 
hunting or anything, but this dude is going to bed shortly. 
Suppose Percy, that lucky sport, has had a big bull come up 
and eat salt out of his hand? You haven't? Well, I'm sur- 
prised. Gee, fellows, I'm tired. This chasing the bull has 
almost got my goat today." 

All the dudes, while they were very tired, were able to 
eat a large dinner, yet, after dinner, they sat about the camp 
fire listlessly a few moments and one by one went to bed. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Oh, how comforting and soothing the bough beds were 
to the dudes. How they were enjoying themselves sleeping 
this morning. It would indeed be a shame to awaken them. 

"Here, you dudes," shouted Hardy, "going to sleep all 
day ? Wake up, Percy ! Get up, Floyd, Joe and Bill." And 
as the dudes raised themselves from their warm beds, 
stretched and yawned, they saw the face of Hardy. He was 
standing over them laughing. 

"Come on, Percy!" shouted Shorty, "come on!" Will 
Percy ever forget that everlasting come on ; how it taunted 
him. It was ever, come on ! 

"All right, Shorty ; just let me get some of the kinks out 
of my back. Oh, my goodness. I'm stiff and sore this 
morning," his dude answered as he stretched himself. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 91 

''Come on, Percy. We'll go in the mountains in a differ- 
ent direction today. Why, you rested all day yesterday," 
urged Shorty, having forgotten the half day he and his 
dude spent in lugging the elk from the top of a high moun- 
tain. "Come on, boy. I've caught up the horses. We'll go 
for a ride ; come on !" 

The dudes got up, slid into their trousers, socks and 
shoes. Breakfast was ready, and from the way they ate, 
they were ready for breakfast. 

Dude Bill had grown slightly disgusted with his hunt- 
ing country, so he and Hal, Hardy and Floyd had prepared 
a pack for a trip into some distant mountains, where they 
expected to spend the night and be ready to hunt early the 
following morning, while dudes Joe and Percy believed 
there was a great number of elk in the nearby mountains. 

"Good luck, Joe, you and Hurricane, Bill and Hal," 
shouted the remainder of the party to their friends as they 
rode away with their pack, which consisted of two teepees, 
supplies and beds. 

Immediately upon the departure of these dudes Floyd and 
Hardy were seen whispering together. They were ready 
for a trip in the mountains, and so were Shorty and his 
dude; and in different directions they rode away, while Ed 
remained to do the camp work. 

Shorty and his dude rode into and over the top of the 
mountain range, which was at the head of the creek that 
flowed by camp. As they neared the top the climb became 
very steep. The altitude affected Percy very much. He 
would have to stop every few yards. Nearing the top, he 
was about to give out from exhaustion, and would have had 
it not been for the suggestion of Shorty, urging him to hold 
onto the tail of his big horse. 

"There, Percy, catch onto his tail; hold it tightly, and 
he'll pull you up. Oh, he'll be too busy to kick, and then, 
if he were to, you can dodge. There, catch hold. Now, 
come on !" Oh, what a picture. There was Shorty's dude — 



92 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

and a right ornery looking dude, too — his whiskers had 
grown, so that his face resembled a large cuckleburr ; his 
woolen socks were over his trousers, and the garters on 
the outside; his underwear about two inches above his 
trouser line; his hunting coats were tied around his waist, 
the backs of which were hanging over his hips and nearly 
dragging the ground; his woolen shirt was open two or 
three buttons, and he appeared to be in the act of sliding 
out of all of his paraphernalia, or being drawn out by the 
big horse ahead and the gray horse behind, as he held 
firmly onto the tail of the one and the bridle reins of the 
other. In this way we climbed to the top. Oh, how good 
did I feel to get on top. I was not so tired. There was 
plenty room on top, as there ever is everywhere. We rode 
on over into another mountain range, keeping, as nearly as 
possible, on the top and above timber line. After we had 
ridden a short distance we saw a herd of about one hundred 
and twenty-five elk, cows and calves, and a few small bulls, 
which Shorty called "spike bulls" — bulls not much over a 
year old. The cows were alert. They looked as if they were 
aware of our presence in the mountain. One old cow 
raised her head high into the air and sniffed. Shorty and 
I had slid off of our horses, tied them behind a pile of big 
rock, and were ourselves hiding behind another pile of 
rock. We remained very quiet and watched. Fortunately 
the wind was blowing from the elk. Presently the old cow 
elk quit sniffing the air and began to graze, and so did all 
of the herd. We saw the herd grazing in a long line of 
twos, threes and fours. At each end, and on each side, 
were cows, which were ever alert, while the rest of the herd 
grazed, carelessly wandering on. Finally one of the cows 
raised her head and sniffed the air. She gave an alarm. 
The herd became nervous and started walking here and 
there, or, as the guides put it, "milling around" ; and then 
all of them started on an easy trot, following a leader, 
while one of the cows remained to ascertain exactly what 
the trouble really was. 




O 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 9i 

We went back to our horses and mounted, and rode on 
in the direction the herd had gone. We saw them after a 
short ride feeding on another mountain side in the distance 
in the same manner. As there were no large bulls in this 
herd we left them without disturbing them. 

We were now in a wonderful place indeed, in the midst 
of snow-covered mountains. Huge banks of snow lay here, 
there and everywhere; and in just such a place all of the 
dudes went on many occasions. 

Shorty and his dude rode on over the top and across the 
huge bank of snow. It was frozen and solid. The top of 
it was covered with a coarse granulation of snow. We rode 
on for a number of miles and into another mountain range. 
The air was chilling and a cold wintry wind was blowing. 
As we rode we looked over and down ; we saw a good sized 
bull elk. 

"Come on, Percy, let us take a good look at that bull," 
shouted Shorty, as he turned his horse and galloped down 
the side of the mountain. The mountain side was very 
steep, and composed practically of loose rock. Shorty soon 
reached the place where he had seen the elk. He turned 
and yelled back to his dude, and then galloped on. The 
dude rode on down, very glad to find his old gray did not 
care to further risk their lives at any livelier gait than a 
trot. This mountain side went down for perhaps a mile, to 
the basin of what I was told to be the Snake River of 
Idaho. As we rode on dow i the sun shone just the same 
as it did when we were on top, yet it gave out a warmth 
which bade us good cheer. We came into a beautiful deer 
park. 

"What a dandy place for elk," whispered Shorty; "let us 
tie our horses and rest a while, and in a short time we may 
see a great bull." And his dude quickly acquiesced. 

We laid down on our backs in the shade of a small spruce 
tree and went to sleep. The dude of Shorty was awakened 
by the snores of his guide, and thought that they might have 
been a warning of some wild animal, yet upon awakening 



94 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

found everything peaceful and quiet. The big horse of 
Shorty had untied himself. 

'There goes your horse, Shorty," whispered Percy, as 
Shorty awakened; and Shorty replied that the horse had 
gone for a drink and would return and hunt us up after he 
had a drink. The horse walked leisurely to the river, took 
a good long drink and sniffed the air, turned, and walked 
directly up to where we had been sleeping. 

We realized that we were a long, long way from camp, 
hurriedly mounted our horses and started at a gallop. Up 
the steep mountain side we climbed after we had reached 
it. We had forgotten the distance we were in the moun- 
tains. We rode on and on. It was growing dark, yet we 
always had time to stop and examine a fresh track. There 
were a great many — ^bear track and elk track — tracks of 
large bulls. The sun had begun to sink behind the moun- 
tain range in the west. It was growing cold, dark and dis- 
mal. We were winding our way back. We rode on up to 
the top of the mountain and then started down in a differ- 
ent direction. We encountered a great deal of fallen timber. 
It was quite dark, and riding through this fallen timber 
gave dude Percy any number of thrills. 

On down and through fallen timber, and around a rocky 
slope, rode Shorty and his dude. The dude had let his horse 
have the rein. He was trusting more in him than any other 
power. The gray horse with his pack climbed on down. He 
came to a large log, lying directly across the mountain side 
and in front of him. The horse stuck his nose over it. It 
was about two or three feet in diameter. The horse jumped 
straight out into space, over the log. The dude lost his 
breath, but grasped the saddle firmly with his legs. As they 
went through the air he looked into space, and down, seeing 
the tree tops below. He wondered if he and his horse would 
ever stop. There was a sliding and grinding of small rock 
under the hoofs of the horse. The dude and his horse slid 
together. The horse reared back on his rump as he slid 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 95 

down — while the mind of the dude was in a whirl — and 
then the horse and his pack stopped. 

*'Safe, boy! Just as safe as if you were in the arms of 
Jesus. Oh, come on!" shouted Shorty, who had stopped 
and had watched keenly the flight. 

Shorty and his dude reached camp in time to be served a 
dinner of elk meat, and the fat of the land. It did indeed 
taste good. How all of our party did eat. 

Floyd and Hardy came in. Floyd was tired tonight, yet 
he wore a smile on his face. He had seen a number of 
elk — cows, yet he had not had a shot at any bulls. 

"It bane look like we are going to have a snow,'' drawled 
Ed; **it looks like we bane gone to have the equinoctial." 

Everybody hoped we would. Shorty assured us that it 
would not surprise him to see four or five inches of snow on 
the ground in the morning. It didn't make any difference 
to the dudes what happened. They were ready for what 
fate had in store for them, so let come what would. 

"Let 'er snow," said Floyd, as he said goodnight, while 
his bunk mate voiced the same opinion, stating, however, 
that he would appreciate it very much if Ed wouldn't snore 
quite so loudly in the early portion of the night, adding that 
it reminded him of midnight at the zoo. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Floyd and his dude friend awakened this morning to find 
a wet, cold snow falling. The surrounding mountains were 
dressed in white. Everything was cold and still. 

"Powder River! Wapiti!" broke the still morning and 
summoned the camp to attention. 

"The wanderers return," shouted Shorty, while Ed said 
something about their bane in time for breakfast and that 
he bane suppos'n they didn't have enough supplies with 
them and would be back ; and, as this was his notion, he had 
breakfast ready for them. 



96 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

The dudes and guides, as usual, ate heartily. After 
breakfast they smoked and wondered how long they would 
be confined to camp. 

*'Say, dude," shouted another dude, laughing, "didn't 1 
hear you say something about taking a bath this morning?" 
And the dude said that he had expected to, and Hardy put 
in and suggested that the door to the bath was still open, 
while the dude looked about him and saw the snowflakes 
falling, and felt the chill of the morning air. Of course, the 
dude had suggested that he needed a bath — and I dare say 
all of the dudes did — yet this dude had admitted it ; and 
having admitted it himself, he surely needed one. It would 
indeed be unkind to his friends to associate with them after 
having made such an admission, notwithstanding the fact 
that all of them may have needed the bath themselves ; so 
the dude in question, rather than be assisted in the fulfill- 
ment of his purpose by a crowd of "jollying" dudes and 
roughnecks, decided that he would not let such a little thing 
as a snowstorm knock him out of his bath. So off went his 
woolen clothing, socks, coats, shoes and all. He tripped 
merrily to the river as nature had presented him to this old 
world, to take again the first thing he had ever received in 
life — a bath ; and while it might be considered worse than 
medicine to take — and, to say the least, I think, it was a 
"wee bit" refreshing — yet on went the dude to his bath 
singing merrily something to the effect that while the water 
was fine the snow bath would indeed be divine. 

"Now, I really will be d — d," shouted Mr. Hardy Shull. 
At this moment another dude stepped close to the side of 
the dude on his way to the river; and as the two dudes 
reached the water's edge, one dude gave the other a push — 
well, the barefoot boy slipped, but before striking the water 
caught the other dude by the heel. So up went the feet and 
down went the dude. The falling dude, who was dressed 
warmly in hunting clothing, grabbed hold of a small spruce 
tree and hung on as if he were about to fall a mile. 

"Oh, don't. Let go ! I didn't mean to push you so far. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 97 

Don't pull me down on those rock," cried the struggling 
dude. 

"Aw, pull him on in," yelled another dude, "It will 
serve him right," and the barefoot dude gave the other a 
yank, while the dressed dude held on to the tree for what 
appeared his dear life, kicking dexterously with his other 
foot. The barefoot dude grabbed hold with both hands and 
started to twist, and as the face of one grew very red the 
other smiled, and the barefoot dude, upon realizing that he 
was standing in the icy water, and then, too, that he might 
carry the play too far for their ultimate pleasure, let go of 
the clothed dude and went on with his bath, while the other 
members of our party had a good laugh. 

"Good morning, boys !" shouted the dude who had taken 
the fresh bath, upon returning to the cook tent, where he 
found the rest of the hunters gathered around the fire. He 
smiled a rich, healthy smile, and beamed on first one and 
then the other. "Aren't you dudes ever going to take a 
bath?" And the fresh dude struck the other one, who had 
scuffled with him, a friendly blow upon his shoulders, 
nearly knocking him and the cook tent over, interfering 
slightly with the business of the cook. The cook suggested 
that there was a certain frisky dude who bane so gay that 
if he didn't take care he would get a skillet hung over his 
head. 

"Dude Bill," shouted one of the dudes, "tell us about your 
trip up in the mountains ; did you have any luck ?" 

"Well," said Bill, after the gang had quieted, "we didn't 
have any particular luck, except we saw a herd of about 
fifty elk; another herd of about fifteen, all cows and calves; 
then we saw one fawn deer. It was a beautiful little animal. 
We didn't take a shot at anything. We were looking for a 
big six-pointer. We certainly had a good tramp. Say, 
boys, we were tired ! And we returned at night to about the 
worst bed I have ever slept in ; right over a big pile of rock ; 
and I believe one of them is still sticking in my back," Bill 
added, as he stretched. 



98 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

After dinner it quit snowing and the air grew fresh and 
cold. The dudes had been sitting about the cook stove. 

''Come on, Percy, let us go up into the mountains and see 
what's up there !" So Percy and Shorty started. 

Hurricane Bill and Joe were seen talking quietly. They 
appeared always to be plotting against the things of the 
wild. They walked off down the creek. 

Hal and Bill were pretty tired, yet they had an idea as to 
where they would find something interesting, so on they 
went, walking in the direction Shorty and his dude had gone 
the day before. 

About six o'clock our party met at camp. We were all 
very tired. We washed and made ourselves ready for sup- 
per. 

After dinner we built a campfire. All of the dudes 
stretched themselves out on the ground. Bill was smoking a 
cigar with a nice gold band about it, while the rest of the 
dudes smoked pipes. The guides, they were all smoking, 
excepting Shorty, and he whittled a stick, while Hal smoked 
any number of cigarettes. 

"Oh, isn't a campfire grand ! Say, fellows, I think this is 
a great picture. I wish I had some flashlight," said dude 
Bill, and we all did. 

'T wish you could see your face. Bill," shouted Floyd. 
"Why, you are a veritable grizzly bear, you old, gray- 
whiskered dude." And Floyd put a chunk of wood on the 
fire while dude Bill rubbed his face and chin, suggesting 
that he had grown a little beard today ; that he had a shave 
this morning, yet it wasn't very close. 

"Go on and shave. Bill," shouted Floyd; "see if I care." 
And then Floyd told us of a bet he and Bill had, that they 
were not to shave until they reached civilization, at the 
penalty of spending a new, crisp fifty-dollar bill on the gang. 

At this point one of the other dudes suggested that we 
"rope 'em and shave 'em" ; yet as the two appeared as if 
they could not possibly stand to win the bet, no violence 
was attempted. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 99 

''What's the luck today, hunters?" inquired a dude. 

"Well," said Joe, ''I got my elk today. I got a six-point 
elk. I have a pair of tusks, see there !" and then Joe passed 
around a beautiful pair of tusks. All of the dudes and 
guides thought that the tusks were wonderful. Joe 
scratched off the little flesh which remained near their root 
and polished them by rubbing them on his trousers, and then 
very carefully put them back in his pocket and pinned it to- 
gether. 

"Come on, Joe; tell us how you did it." 

"Well, Bill and I had gone way up into the mountains, 
just about where the rimrock begins. Bill just kept on say- 
ing, 'Come on, Joe; come on, Joe,' and I kept a-coming. 
First thing you know, he says, *Joe, there he is,' and I drew 
down on him and shot. Bill says, 'Shoot again, Joe; you've 
got hiip, knock him down.' I shot again, and then I struck 
him with the ball over the shoulders and knocked him down. 
When I went up there, why, that old bull just raised right 
up and was going to paw me, so I put a ball through his 
head to put him out of his misery. Why, that old bull looked 
as if he would have kicked all of the daylight out of me, if 
he only could. We then cleaned him, propped him open. 
W^e've had an awfully hard day; we've certainly worked. 
Hurricane and I. It was a pleasure to see Hurricane butcher 
that elk. Say, boys, he's some butcher." 

"All of these guides — they are butchers, cooks, horse 
wranglers, and most everything," interrupted Floyd. "Why, 
I noticed Shorty making bread, and saw Hardy cooking 
breakfast. And both the bread and breakfast were good to 
eat. They know something about everything out here in 
the mountains. Gee, they are a versatile bunch." 

"What did Dude Bill do?" asked Floyd. 

"Hal and I went up in the mountains. We went way up 
above timber line, and then we walked down over some loose 
rock, and around any number of boulders ; and walked, and 
walked. We saw a good many tracks, evidences of bear. 
We saw one big bull's track, but we never got in shooting 



100 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

distance of anything. I'm getting awfully tired of my luck. 
I thought I was going to get a bull, but it looks like fate is 
against me. Say, Percy, you are awfully lucky; what kind 
of luck did you have?'' 

"It does seem that I have a good deal of luck," said 
Percy, looking as if he really beHeved what he was saying, 
as he took a drag at his pipe, shifted his position on the 
ground so that the smoke of the campfire would not choke 
him, continuing: ''Yet maybe I should lay all of my good 
luck to Shorty, or," and Percy hesitated, as if to think 
seriously, "well, such has been my life today. I want to 
tell you fellows I never have received such punishment in 
all my life, in any capacity, as I have since I have been fol- 
Ibwing Shorty around these mountains, in these old shoes. 
My, if there ever was a fellow I had a grudge against in 
the world, it is that man who sold me the wrong pair of 
shoes. Oh, that little, old, short-legged boy can bounce 
along. It was always, 'Come on, Percy! Let's bounce 
along.' Shall I ever forget it? Never. And we had 
bounced, sHd, climbed, ridden, and gone in most every bad 
and dangerous place I think there is out there in the moun- 
tains. Well, we finally got to the top. We had been riding 
very comfortably on top. We were a long ways up — so 
far up that Shorty had suggested that I may never get 
nearer heaven — and if that place is higher up and harder to 
get to than where we were, well, God help a poor sinner like 
me. Well, we were up on top. How grand it is to be up 
there and look about ! From there we could see almost 
everywhere. However, we were never satisfied, ever riding 
on. We came to the edge of a terrible precipice. We dis- 
mounted ; tied our horses back from the edge. We expected 
to see something and we didn't want to attract much atten- 
tion. We crawled over to the edge and looked down — and 
oh, so carefully, did I look — we looked down and over, and 
in a high pocket in another mountain saw two immense 
bulls. They were about the size of Floyd's. 'Slide on 
back,' whispered Shorty, 'get on your horse and follow me. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 101 

Do what I do.' We slid on back and mounted. Shorty 
turned and looked in different directions hastily, and then 
spurred his horse over what looked to be a great precipice. 
'What,' I whispered excitedly, 'do we go down there?' 
Shorty urged me on. The way Shorty had gone led around 
the side of the mountain. It was a very steep side of a 
mountain of loose rock. It went down, ever down. Shorty 
came to a place where he dismounted. I got off. I tied my 
reins together in a hard knot and went on down, following 
Shorty. Finally we came to a place where the rimrock 
went down about a quarter of a mile, straight off and down. 
Shorty had climbed safely around a boulder, a very narrow 
path, up close to the mountain. He led his horse as he went 
and carried his rifle. I had my rifle in my right hand, the 
rein in my left. I had come to a place where horse and 
rider might fall into eternity. My horse hesitated — my feet 
slipped clear out from under me — and there, boys, your 
friend dangled, between this world and the next, rifle in one 
hand, my very life in the other, holding onto the bridle 
reins. I was afraid to scramble much, fearing I would pull 
my horse into my position and we would both go down into 
the abyss. Oh, but I almost did let go of the reins — they 
were nearly jerked from my grip (and it was a death grip, 
too), when my old gray horse — and God bless and reward 
him for his heroic act — he simply snorted and reared back 
on his haunches and pulled me back from the great beyond 
to a place of safety. And then, oh, so carefully, did I climb 
around the boulder, and oh, so carefully did I lead my dear 
old gray on. 

" 'What's matter up there, Percy ? Come on ! We'll miss 
the elk. Make that old gray devil step along,' Shorty cried 
to me in an under bieath. And while I knew Shorty meant 
no harm to my good friend, the gray, it rather hurt me to 
hear him call him an 'old gray devil.' On down, my good 
gray and I went, following Shorty. We slid, caught our- 
selves, and in the course of a struggle, which I know was 
just such as all of the dudes have had, we reached a place 



102 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

where Shorty thought we had better tie our horses. We 
tied them to a scrubby tree. On down we went and then 
we started up. I stopped at the edge of a rivulet which 
was forming from a snow bank and drank. Oh, how re- 
freshing. I bathed my temples and face. 'Come on, Percy,' 
whispered Shorty, 'come on.' I stumbled on. My rifle was 
beginning to bear me down. My heart was beating heavily. 
I turned on the last ounce of will power and climbed on. 
We had reached the high pocket. 'There are the bulls,' 
whispered Shorty; 'come on; you want a better shot.' I 
went on a few steps, took aim and fired. I was within a 
hundred yards of the bull. I saw a little red spot come on 
the side of the bull. He walked slowly on up and then dis- 
appeared. 'Come on,' again whispered my friend Shorty, 
but this time, boys, my feet would not hold me. I sank 
down from my exhaustion, and tried to lie on the moun- 
tain side to rest a moment. I slipped and slid on down, and 
struck against a stump of a small tree. There I stopped. 
Shorty went on up and watched the bull go into another 
portion of the mountain. I regained my wind and looked 
about me. Immediately below was a rimrock — a drop of a 
hundred feet or so. There was a lot of room for me to slip 
by the tree stump, yet I didn't; and you dudes are not 
troubled with a mangled corpse — and why ?" 

"Percy, you have a hell of a time, don't you?" laughed 
Hardy, who added that every now and then they had to 
carry a dude back on a pack mule. 

"Come, Joe," said Floyd, "tell us what you had to do." 

"Well, fellows, I wasn't suspended over a precipice. I 
just went up and got my meat, and brought it all in ; and 
Hurricane Bill and I got into some of the worst places I 
could ever imagine — " 

"Boys, we have forgotten something; ready, fellows, 
sing," shouted Floyd, and the whole tribe joined in on that 
old, well-worn chant, suggesting that it may be so, etc., 
while Percy added that he was mighty glad to be joked and 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 103 

hear their voices ; especially, happier than to be the cause of, 
maybe, a heap of sadness. 

"Well," said Floyd, seriously, ''I have just had a similar 
experience. Hardy and I went out into the mountains. Up 
above timber line, up on top of the mountains, and walked. 
We slid around some rimrock, and I tumbled; I lost my 
balance, fell down, not a mile or so, but a short distance, 
and bruised myself all over. I certainly had a rough time. 
We finally got back to camp. I am mighty glad to be here. 
There was a time when I had my doubts of ever reaching 
home again. Say, let us go to bed." 

Dude Bill stepped forth, and the dudes formed a circle 
about Floyd, and around him they danced and sang; and 
the mountains echoed and re-echoed with the grand amen. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

The morning of September the fourth, nineteen hundred 
and seventeen, found the dudes sleeping late. They loafed 
around camp. Joe and Hurricane Bill went into the moun- 
tains to get their elk meat, returning about noon. 

'T don't know what's the matter with these heads, the 
antlers, unless it is that the elk didn't winter very well," said 
Hurricane Bill, as we all gathered about the new trophy of 
Joe. *T think," he continued, "it is on account of the fact 
that last winter was very hard on them; and then it is on 
account of the fact that the ranches have been encroaching 
upon their country, constafitly taking from the elk the low 
country where they used to winter. It is my experience 
that whenever we do not have a hard winter the following 
year the elk have heavier and larger horns. What do you 
think about that. Hardy?" Hardy and the other guides 
were of the same opinion, while Ed added that "they bane 
stay too high in the mountains." 

We now had plenty of meat. We started to jerk the 



104 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

meat. We thought that by the end of our trip each dude 
would be able to take home with him approximately four 
hundred pounds of jerked elk meat. 

''Hardy, how do you jerk this meat?" asked Bill, as all 
of the dudes gathered around to see. 

'There's not much to it, Bill," said Hardy, *'it is very 
simple. All you have to do is to cut a hind quarter, like 
this, so that you can catch hold of a piece, about as big as 
your forearm, and then jerk it off. When you jerk it off 
the separating tissue forms a skin, and this skin, after you 
hang the meat up and smoke it, gets tougher; it protects 
the meat. Now, then, after you jerk a piece off of the 
quarter or loin, you run a cord through it and then we hang 
it up and smoke it." Shorty had already cut six poles, 
four about like table legs, and two about six or eight feet 
long. He drove the four into the ground and nitched the 
other two so that they would fit over the tops of the four. 
A smudge fire was built. The jerked pieces of meat were 
hung on the poles, and then we covered the poles and 
smudge with a tarpaulin, kindling the fire and then covering 
it with green shrubs and grass, which would burn slowly 
and smoke. 

After jerking all of the meat we did not care for for 
immediate use, we washed, and were served dinner. 

Bill and Hal had been plotting together against the elk, 
from time to time, during the morning. They decided to go 
out in the mountains. Shorty's dude was so tired and his 
feet were so very sore that he didn't care very much about 
going anywhere, yet just to be company for his guide he 
picked up his rifle and started, though he took a consider- 
able time to get ready. 

"Come on, Percy," shouted Shorty, who, as the men of 
the West put it, was "rearing to go." 

"Oh, I'll be right there with you in a minute. Now, I 
want to tell you something. Shorty. I am tired, and sore 
and stiff, and if you are going to run all of the way, I think 
I shall stay in camp." And Shorty told him again to come 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 105 

on, and that they would take their time, so the footsore 
dude marched along. 

Shorty and his dude limped on up a game trail, which led 
up the mountain stream to the left, one which emptied into 
the stream which ran by our camp a few miles down the 
stream. We crossed the mountain stream, climbing on up 
near timber line. On our way we saw a buck deer. Every 
few steps going up Shorty and his dude would stop and rest. 
They were hunting leisurely. They had climbed up a moun- 
tain side of loose rock. Here and there was a scrubby tree, 
or some small brush. At this particular stop Percy had so 
tired of hearing Shorty urge him on that he climbed a few 
steps ahead of Shorty and stopped to rest. The two sat 
down to rest. The side of the mountain was so steep that 
they sat down on their right foot and braced themselves 
with their left, resting their rifles across their right thighs. 
We were ready for most anything, and each one had little 
expectation of seeing anything at that moment. We were 
whispering about where we thought we would find a bull. 

"Now, Shorty," whispered Percy, he having thoroughly 
regained his wind, "let's go on up the mountain. I am 
rested. Isn't it wonderful how quickly a climb gets your 
wind, and then how quickly you get it back," Percy whis- 
pered. Percy was in the act of rising. He looked up. He 
heard a sound which resembled an earthquake. All of the 
mountain appeared to be coming down on the dude. There, 
immediately above him, approximately thirty-five to forty 
feet away, charged a huge grizzly bear. Her mouth was 
open wide. She roared ! The dude stood there and looked 
into her very jaws of death. They were opened wide, wide 
enough to take in the whole head of the dude at one gobble 
and strong enough to crush it. Her long white teeth 
glistened. Her tongue was pulled back ; her lips raised so 
that the dude could see all of her teeth. She was all bristled, 
and her hoggish eye was fastened upon him. 

Under these circumstances, my dear friends, what would 
you have done ? 



106 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

Just as the sun had gone down behind the mountain 
range on the west, two tired looking individuals arrived at 
camp. They had worked hard that day at their sport; a 
dude had risked everything and now he was the proud 
possessor of the king of all trophies. Shorty was wrapped 
in the hide of a grizzly bear, while Percy had a large bundle 
on his back. 

'Towder River!" yelled Percy, in his endeavor to call the 
dudes to see what he had procured. He dropped his bundle 
on the ground, and then helped unwind the grizzly hide 
from around Shorty and stretched it on the ground. Percy 
then stood and looked at the hide of the monster. It meas- 
ured seven and one-half feet from the tip of the nose to 
where its tail might have been, and had an eight-foot 
stretch. 

"Percy, my friend, I bane mighty glad you got a grizzly. 
She's the queen of 'em all. No better trophy will be taken 
from the mountains; you bane lucky boy. You know, 
Percy, they bane fast becoming 'instinct,' " said Ed, as he 
leaned back on his hips, resting the back of his hands, and 
gazed steadfastly. And then Percy and Shorty stretched 
out the fur, combed it out. We found the fur in excellent 
condition considering the time of the year, and decided that 
old Mrs. Bear had been spending a great deal of her time 
high in the mountains. 

"Well, Percy," shouted Floyd, as he approached, "you 
look mighty dirty and happy; what luck?" Percy pointed 
to the grizzly hide. 

"Well, I'll concede that you are the luckiest dude in the 
party. Suppose you killed the bear." 

"That he did," shouted Shorty ; "that he did. And here 
is her hide." Floyd examined her very closely, and Percy 
repeated that Ed had told him she bane rapidly becoming 
"instinct," while Floyd said that there appeared to be more 
"outstink" than instinct. Percy stood and viewed the trophy, 
looking seriously at her huge head and mouth. 

"Well, Percy," said Floyd, "tell us how you killed it?" 




rill-: KIXC OF ALL TROPHIES. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 107 

Percy filled his pipe slowly, stood and stared at the pelt 
of the monster. He told his friend he would rather wait 
until the whole party were there, as he expected he would 
have to tell how it happened a great many times and that 
he might as well begin to lessen the effort. 

"Well, Shorty," spoke Floyd, "you tell us." 

"It was a very simple thing," said Shorty as he reared 
back on his hips, bracing himself with his wrists on his 
back, so as to well balance his high hat, "very simple. The 
old bitch charged on Percy and me. Percy raised up and 
shot her; and then we had one hell of a job. Come on, 
Percy, let us go to the river and wash some of this 'instinct' 
from us." 

Bill and Hal came in. 

"Percy, for the love of God, did you shoot that bear 
with that small gun of yours?" cried Bill in nervous aston- 
ishment. 

"That I did, Bill," shouted the dude from the river. 

"Well, I want to hear all about it, but I am so blamed 
tired. Come on, boys, let us eat dinner," said Bill as he 
took another look at the grizzly pelt. 

The dude, who had an odor about him very kin to that of 
a grizzly, came from the river, singing, to the tune of "Good- 
bye, Girls, I'm Through," "I'm the happiest boy in all the 
mountain kingdom" ; and he was. 

"Boys, I know you bane having a great deal of fun look- 
ing at that grizzy bear," shouted Ed, "but dinner is getting 
cold." And Hardy suggested with his leather voice that 
we should "come and get it, before he spit in it." 

Joe and Hurricane Bill had not reached camp, yet the 
dudes sat down to dinner. 

We had an unusually good dinner. It was very similar 
to our other meals, excepting lunch. We had hot soup, 
fresh elk tenderloin, and the usual canned vegetables, coffee 
and a fruit dessert. 

After dinner the guides built a large campfire. We dudes 
and guides laid down by the side of it and warmed our- 



108 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

selves. In the meantime Joe and Hurricane Bill had re- 
turned and dined. They, too, gathered around the bright fire. 

''Now, Percy," said Joe, after he had taken a good look 
at the grizzly pelt, "tell us all about how you shot the 
grizzly." 

"Well, dudes and guides, Shorty and I tramped over 
there in the mountains," began Percy, pointing in the direc- 
tion of the old mountain, where he had met the grizzly. 
"We got up past the fallen timber. We were sitting upon 
the side of the mountain of loose rock. It was very steep. 
I had tired of hearing Shorty always yelling to me to come 
on, so when we stopped to rest this time I took a few more 
steps and stopped a little above him and to his right, slightly. 
We had been sitting there whispering about where we ex- 
pected to find a bull. The mountain was so steep that we 
were sitting up on our right feet, bracing ourselves with 
our left, holding our rifles ready over our right thighs. 
Everything was perfectly still. We had not the slightest 
idea of being charged by a bear. I looked up on hearing 
a terrible noise above me. It sounded like the whole moun- 
tain was coming down upon me. Upon looking up I saw 
a huge grizzly bear charging straight at me from a distance 
of possibly thirty-five or forty feet. I raised to my feet 
and took aim. A very precise aim, and fired. Shorty did 
the same and we fired almost simultaneously. Instantly the 
hind legs of the bear looked as if they were paralyzed ; they 
gave down under her weight. She slid, trying to brace 
herself with her front feet. I fired again as she slid by, 
striking her in the top of the neck near the base of the skull. 
About twenty-five feet above me there stood an old dead 
tree, and, as she charged she had to come slightly to one 
side of this tree. She took the left side of it, and as she 
passed it, was when we fired. She was very close when I 
shot the second time — went sliding by about fifteen or twenty 
feet down, and when she passed she was perhaps eight to 
ten feet away. Oh, how she roared! When the bullet 
struck her she let out a dull awful howl. She clawed around 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 109 

and died facing me. God, how she did growl and snarl. 
Will I ever forget her snarling mouth and terrifying appear- 
ance as she lay there ! I kept my rifle sighted on her eye 
until she ceased to growl, and until after the death rattle 
hushed — until after her eye became glassy and she ceased 
to breathe. I was watching every move intensely. I didn't 
know whether she would get up and come at me or not, so 
I took no chances. 'Don't shoot again, Percy,' yelled Shorty, 
'she's dead, all right.' I told Shorty that I didn't care to 
take any chances and he walked on around behind the bear 
with his gun in hand, and cocked. The grizzly was dead. 
She must have been an awful old sinner, for she certainly 
died hard, appearing to dislike giving up and being subdued 
by a mere dude. Shorty poked her with his rifle from be- 
hind. She did not respond. I knew she was dead. I then 
walked down a few steps and viewed the queen of all the 
mountain kingdom. You should have seen that head — you 
should have seen her all snarled — seen the hair standing 
straight up, her mouth stretched wide ; her tongue all curled 
back and her lips raised, ready to gobble me down. It 
was the greatest thrill I have ever had. I rather enjoyed 
the strait." 

"You may never have such an experience as that again," 
interrupted Joe ; and Percy said that he doubted if he did. 

"Shorty and I," continued Percy, "caught a-hold of her 
front paws and stretched her out. My, she was a monster ! 
And heavy ? Well, I say she was. We took a good look at 
her, and while we viewed her peaceful remains, we heard a 
cub bear crying. The cub was down below us. It was a 
very pitiful cry. I started on down toward the cry, with 
my rifle. Shorty called me back and told me that we 
would doubtless have no luck in capturing the cub, 
as he found that the mother bear had no milk, and that he 
thought the cub was a yearling and old enough to have 
sense enough to 'high tail it.' His cries became fainter 
and fainter. Shorty and I then sharpened our knives. It 
was a wonderful sight to see Shorty operate on that olri 



no FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

bear. I could hardly believe she was dead until I saw him 
take his knife and make a long incision down her center. 
Every inch of the skin had to be cut off of the bear. Shorty 
and I were busy there for an hour or so, skinning the bear. 
After we had cut the skin off and taken off the head, Shorty 
said that we had better take some bear fat with us, so I 
took my pruning knife and cut about thirty pounds off of 
the two rumps. I then hung it over my shoulders and 
Shorty wrapped himself in the bearhide and we came on to 
camp. 

"One of the most interesting things about the whole affair 
was the sight of the grizzly bear after she had been skinned. 
She looked like a great big old fat man. There were the 
hands. Of course, Shorty and I took the skin off the paws 
so that the joints looked like the hand of a human, and when 
we finished it, it looked as if we had actually murdered a 
human being." 

'They certainly do look like a dead man," interrupted 
Hardy, as Percy stopped to light his pipe, while the quartette 
joined in sonoro-usly: 

'Tt may be so, but we don't know ; 
It sounds so very queer. 
We do not doubt your honest word, 
Yet, your kybosh don't go here. 
AMEN!" 

Shorty stepped out and said that it was true, and very 
true, while Percy told them that he didn't care what they 
thought about it, as long as he was able to hear them express 
themselves, yet he did hope each one of them would have 
the pleasure of living through just such an experience. 

"Well," said Percy, meditatively, ''there is one thing 
about it I haven't told, which considerably amused me. 
After the bear was dead, and I had walked down to her 
head. Shorty took a few steps up to where I had stood and 
examined my tracks. I don't know why he did it," added 
Percy, smiling, "and then he told me that he thought my 
nerve was very good, indeed. I felt very glad to hear that 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. Ill 

from Shorty, but I want to say here, boys, that I didn't 
have time to* be afraid, yet I was very happy to have had 
Shorty by my side at the time. When we finished skinning 
the bear we examined her to find where the bullets had 
struck her. We found the shot of Shorty had struck her 
in the stomach and the first bullet I fired had severed the 
spinal cord; and that my second bullet had also injured the 
cord and lodged in the base of the skull. The first bullet 
went through the breast of the bear, near the shoulder, 
going into and through the spinal cord. This bullet was 
fired in the bear as she charged ; the next one was fired at 
the time the bear slid by, striking one of the vertebrae 
and then glancing into the base of the skull," concluded 
Percy, as he presented the bullets and passed them around 
for the party to examine. 

"Oh ! What wonderful souvenirs. Percy, you are the 
luckiest dude in all the mountains. I rather envy you. 1 
do. I hate to kill these beautiful elk. I feel I am killing 
something I hadn't ought to, but a she grizzy bear, charging 
on you — well, Percy, that is indeed the king of all of the 
outdoor sports," said Joe, as he returned again from looking 
at the bear hide. 

Bill said that he thought Percy was mighty fortunate ; 
and then Floyd, while Ed said that he bane mighty glad ; 

and Hardy added that he really would be d d. Shorty 

told Percy that he undoubtedly would be the only dude, and 
we, the only party, in the state of Wyoming to get a grizzly 
bear this time of the year. (We were.) Percy asked why. 

"At this time of the year, these old bear stay high in the 
mountains. It isn't the time to hunt bear, and it is only 
one chance in a great many that a hunter gets a bear in this 
way. That's the way to kill a bear — just to have them 
charge you when you are not expecting 'em — when you have 
to shoot or be eaten by the bear." 

"Shorty," asked Floyd, "what if Percy hadn't killed that 
bear, what then?" 

"Oh, nothing much. Nothing much — there would have 



112 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

been a lawyer's widow in Kansas City and a dude and a 
horse wrangler knocking upon the pearly gates. That's 
all." And Percy trembled as he put a firebrand to his pipe. 

"Hey, Bill," shouted Percy, desiring to hear no more of 
the bear, "what did you do today? See any elk?" 

*T had a most magnificent trip. I went out into the 
mountains, way, way out, into the mountains. We climbed 
and tramped, and struggled and climbed, and tramped, and 
got away over on top of another mountain range and there 
we came to a beautiful lake right in the top of a mountain. 
I sat upon a big rock on top and looked down into this 
wonderful lake. It was a great picture. It certainly was 
immense. Say, fellows, isn't{ this wonderful country? In- 
deed it is. I saw a number of bear tracks, didn't see any 
bear, but — I am glad that you got a grizzly, Percy." 

"Shorty," interrupted Floyd, "you know a considerable 
about bears, grizzly bears. Do grizzly bears always charge 
a person like this one charged you and Percy?" 

"Oh, not always ; in fact, they seldom do," said Shorty ; 
"they are not always on a tear. They are somewhat like a 
person — if they are grouchy and you interfere with their 
business, you are apt to get into it, yet, ordinarily, if they 
do not have cubs around, they are like black bears. If 
you come up close to where they are and do not bother 
them, they will 'high tail it'; that is, they will run ofif and 
leave you. If you go to encroaching upon what a grizzly 
thinks is his or her business — look out ! Now, in this case, 
the thing that made this bear charge was that we had gotten 
between her and her cub; she had gotten our wind. She 
had a yearling cub, and I suppose that she thought we 
would cause the cub trouble. I think that's why she charged 
us." 

"What about the black bear, will they charge you?" 

"The black bear?" said Shorty astonished. "Why, they 
are like a rabbit. They will run ofif from you — the black 
and brown — although I would not want to corner them. I 
think the black and brown bear up in these mountains are 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 113 

all of the same family — blondes and brunettes. The old 
grizzly is the king of them all. He don't have to take any 
back talk from anything, or anybody. He knows his 
strength. He is always rough and ready." 

**How did the Indians ever kill these big grizzlies?" asked 
a dude. 

''Well, I don't believe the Indians ever killed very many 
of them until they got a large rifle. I don't believe they ever 
killed them with a bow and arrow. They might with a 
knife, although I would doubt it. They rather worshiped 
them. They were more of a god — that's the way the Indians 
used to think of them — they were so big and powerful." 

"Say, Floyd, where have you been today?" 

"Oh, Hardy and I have been tramping around upon the 
mountain tops. We have certainly had some grand views. 
And, whew, what thrills ! Hardy and I climbed in places 
where I didn't think a mountain sheep could navigate, yet 
somehow or other, we would keep on going. He would 
say, 'Come on, Floyd.' And on we would go. We went 
over on that mountain range right directly back of camp 
and walked all over the top. There we saw those three 
peaks, and at the bottom the lake — Jackson's Lake, and the 
Great Tetons. It is a wonderful scene." 

"How far away were we from that. Hardy?" asked Floyd. 

"I should judge we were about thirty to thirty-five miles 
away from that," said Hardy, after figuring the distance. 

"It didn't look that far to me, but I suppose it was. The 
air was very thin up where we were, and then we looked 
right over there from the top of another mountain." 

The dudes and guides were lying around on the ground, 
smoking and resting. 

"Say, Floyd, tell us a story. I've heard so much about 
bears, I'm actually afraid to go to bed. Tell us a pleasant 
story; something different," requested a dude. 

"I'm not much of a story teller," said Floyd, apologet- 
ically, "yet I have in mind a different sort of a story. It is 
so different from what you ordinarily hear in the moun- 



114 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

tains ; one of these citified stories. Maybe some of these 
guides will appreciate it. It is about a vampire — a wicked 
woman and a virtuous boy. Think I had better dare tell it 
in the presence of these gentlemen and dudes?" spoke Floyd 
jokingly, yet with a touch of sincerity. 

"You want to be right tender with all of us, Floyd, but go 
ahead. The sky is the limit; and that is a long, long ways 
up even out here in these mountains," shouted Hardy, who 
was lying on his back looking at the stars. 

RAPHAEL AND THE VAMPIRE. 

''Say, Bill, if you and Percy don't care to hear this parlor 
story, you can go to bed or — jump in the creek, but for the 
benefit of these dude wranglers," said Floyd jocularly and 
yet with the attitude of a man who is about to tell a story 
in the presence of his wife which she might not approve, 
''back in one of the big cities there lived a boy named 
Raphael. He was the only son of a very wealthy man who, 
as his mother had put it, while her husband had made a 
great fortune and home on earth, she had her doubts as to 
his spiritual achievements and the home to which he had 
gone ; and she, not desiring to miss Raphael in that fair 
land to which she, in all events, was going, had decided that 
the life of Raphael should be pure; that he should follow 
the paths of righteousness forever. Raphael's mother, of 
course, was an idealist. She had reached a mature age, 
doubtless of such maturity that some of the pleasures of 
youth appeared vanity to her, and vanity of the worst kind ; 
yet, notwithstanding, she was the only proper person, in 
her opinion, to direct the youthful mind and raise her young 
son. Under such an environment Raphael had lived from 
birth. He was now a man physically ; and, he being a man, 
it had occurred to the mother of Raphael that it must be a 
part of his life to, at least, as she confidentially expressed 
herself to an intimate friend, have an opportunity of look- 
ing over into the forbidden land ; of beholding its fruit ; to 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 115 

know the ways of the world, and from the awfulness he 
would profit. 

*'lt happened that next door to Raphael there lived a 
grass widow, a beautiful blonde — rather a buxom vampire. 
Oh, boy ! she had her charm ; and the good folk of 
the neighborhood vowed as much experience. Of course, 
the old women of the community always had something 
to say about 'that' blonde, and some of the younger ones as 
well, yet she was wanted fo-r a purpose by Raphael's mother, 
and under such a circumstance, was the proper one. Al- 
though some of the neighbors did wag their tongues when 
his mother told them of her intentions, Raphael and the 
blonde, or 'that blonde,' as she was better known, behind her 
back, went out together. They went down into the city — to 
the wild and wicked city, visiting the haunts of the poor 
miserable creatures who dwell in such places. Why, think 
of it! They attended a theater, which, as a friend of the 
mother of Raphael had declared, was a 'blaze of licentious- 
ness' ; and then, afterwards, a cabaret which was equally 
unrestrained by law. There they wined and dined. In the 
late hours of the night Raphael returned home. His 
mother had been sitting up fo-r him, waiting for her boy. 
She had been greatly worried, wondering what the wicked 
woman had done to her virtuous boy. She went to his room. 
She found him pacing the floor desperately. He had re- 
moved his coat and vest, yet he prepared no further for bed. 

" 'Raphael, Raphael,' cried the mother, 'what did that 
wicked woman do to my boy?' 

" 'Oh, mother, it is too awful for me to tell you,' Raphael 
replied, crying and wringing his hands. 

" 'My God' cried the mother, from the depths of her soul, 
'what did that wicked woman do to my boy?' and she burst 
into tears ; went to her room, prayed to God to forgive her 
and her blessed boy. Upon finishing her prayer, she again 
returned to her son. 

"Raphael had ceased to pace the floor. He had flung 



116 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

himself upon his bed. He was crying as if his heart would 
break. 

" 'Raphael — dear, dear Raphael, what did that wicked 
woman do to you?' 

'' 'Oh, mother, if you must know, she told me there wasn't 
any SANTA CLAUS !' " 

Hardy, who had been listening intently, said that he now 

really would be d d; while the other guides voiced the 

notion that Raphael must have been an insipid Bible-backed 
youth. 

September Fifth, 
1917. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

'T wish you would look. Bill, at these lazy dudes," shouted 
Floyd, as he viewed Joe and Percy sleeping peacefully. 
"Get up from there ; breakfast is nearly over." 

Joe and I dressed and went to the river. Upon returning 
we were served a hunter's breakfast. It was very good. 
We enjoyed it and ate heartily. 

No one was in a hurry this morning. Everybody was 
very tired. We leisurely walked about camp. We found 
Shorty busy fleshing my bear pelt. He was going over the 
whole hide, cutting the flesh and fatted particles from the 
skin. He then skinned the head of the bear. The skull was 
then put in a large bucket and placed upon the stove. It 
was boiled until all of the flesh loosened from the bone and 
slipped ofif. 

''You'll need that, Percy, when you go to mount your 
bear. Be careful with it, and not lo'se it," said Shorty as 
he sat down and commenced again fleshing the hide. 

"How do you prepare the bear pelt?" asked Percy. 

Shorty finished fleshing it and stretched it out on the 
ground with the flesh side up. He salted it. "You take a 
lot of salt, after having fleshed it, and rub it into the skin ; 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 117 

when it is thoroughly salted you lay it out, or hang it up, 
to dry." 

"Do you have to stretch it out on a board?" inquired a 
dude. 

"No, you do not have to do that. Some folks use to 
think it was best to do that, but that was a mistaken idea. 
We used to think we had to stretch our hides upon boards 
to keep them from shrinking, but the up-to-date taxidermist 
does not want it stretched. They say that when you stretch 
the hide, that way, you pull them out of shape. The taxi- 
dermist will soften them, and the hide will come back to its 
natural condition." 

It was extremely interesting to me to consider the skull 
of the grizzly, after all of the meat had been taken from 
it, and compare it with the head of the bear while the 
skin and meat were upon it. The whole head of this 
grizzly was about the size of an ordinary water bucket 
before removing the skin and flesh, yet, after taking these 
portions off, the skull would have gone into a number 
ten or twelve shoe box. It resembled a human skull only 
slightly. It was very narrow across the eyes, and the 
distance between the top of the skull and the lower jaw 
was very small in comparison with the size of the head, 
considering it with the head of a human. It had very 
powerful jaws. The distance between the jaws was great 
enough to accommodate the ordinary head of a man ; and, 
from the tendons which vJorked it, I am satisfied this 
grizzly was strong enough to cruih the head of a human 
in one bite. 

Shorty took practically all morning to prepare the pelt. 
Hardy was busy working upon the skull and hide of the 
bull of Floyd. Ed was busying himself about camp, 
cleaning the pots, pans, knives and forks and preparing 
dinner. He was the busiest man about camp, yet he often 
had time to tell us about "Yonesie ;" and "Yoe Yones." 
It was first one, and then the other. He talked a consider- 
able about these two dignitaries of the mountains; and 



118 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

when one of the guides would speak of some one who 
might have lived in this vicinity a year or so ago, well, 
Ed could always name him, give a complete description 
and history. He was a walking directory of the inhabi- 
tants of Wapiti and Park county. 

The weather was stormy today. It had been spitting 
snow; and then a terrible hail storm would blow up. It 
would sleet, rain or snow with equal ease. We dudes 
puttered around camp and hugged the cook stove, read- 
ing and smoking as our pleasure dictated. 

"Isn't it interesting to watch the cloud formation," 
shouted Floyd, who had left the stove long enough to 
study the beauties of the mountain country in such 
weather. "B-r-r-r ! Isn't it wild looking up there in the 
mountains? Look at that high peak over there. It looks 
as if a great white sheet had fallen over it, and it is 
hanging there. See how the clouds are constantly blow- 
ing around, and filling the mountains with mist and fog. 
I don't think it would be safe to hunt a day like today." 
And all of the dudes and guides decided that it would not 
be, as a dude or guide might step over a precipice. 

Down into our happy valley swooped a driving, whirl- 
ing snow and hail storm. How the sides of the tent did 
flap and its supports moan, as the wintry blast struck it. 
The dudes gathered in the cook tent and huddled about 
the stove, notwithstanding Ed suggested that "he bane 
afraid one of them would fall in the stew" which he was 
making for lunch. 

After lunch Dude Bill started a pitch game, everybody 
joining in, gathering around the table. It went on furi- 
ously until Ed announced supper. It stopped and the 
dudes filled themselves with food. 

"I had a thrill, boys," shouted Floyd, "I rode into and 
through a hornet's nest. Zippie, one of them struck the 
buckskin mare, and how she pranced and jumped. I 
felt about as safe as if I had been suspended over a 
precipice." 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 119 

''Well, Floyd," said Hardy, laughing, "I suppose we'll 
have to get a baby buggy for some of you dudes and we 
guides will push you up the mountain." 

One of the dudes suggested that it would take at least 
a block and tackle, while another said he didn't have much 
trouble, although he did stop to rest occasionally. 

The dudes smoked and returned to the sleeping tent. 
It was cold and damp, yet we all tucked ourselves in be- 
tween the wet blankets and slept until morning. 



CHAPTER XVHI. 

We were awakened at seven o'clock. All of the dudes 
were still tired and sore. We dressed. Breakfast was 
ready for us. 

"Well," said Joe, after thinking quietly for some time, 
"I wonder if Uncle Sam has called me — I wonder if they 
want me to go to France. Percy, that was where I was 
luckier than you ever were. I drew one of the first draft 
numbers of my district. I suppose Fll go to Camp 
Funston, or some other camp, as soon as I get out of the 
mountains. I hope I have time to at least say good-bye 
to my wife, and folks." 

"You certainly are in luck, Joe," shouted dude Bill, 
'T wish I could go and wd aid if it were not for my de- 
fective vision — the loss of one eye — and Fd go straight 
to the front." 

"You old gray-whiskered rascal, you would make some 
soldier," shouted Floyd, and after having received prac- 
tically the same compliment from his friend Bill, the two 
dudes right shouldered arms and stood before the sleep- 
ing tent, awaiting their call to war, while Joe awaited the 
command from his superior officer. 

"I left word back home for them to wire the sheriff. 
Could he find us?" 



120 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

"Can he find you? He has found many a rougher look- 
ing boy than you, Joe. Don't worry. You will receive 
word quick enough. They'd wire the sheriff, the sheriff 
would call up the forest ranger, his deputy would tell the 
game warden, and in a very little while they would locate 
you, although you are away out here," said Hardy. 

Joe ceased to worry. The dudes picked up their guns 
and started for the mountains. 

"Come on," shouted Shorty, and on went the tall one 
and the short one, leaving Ed to clean up camp and pre- 
pare supper. 

The camp robbers flitted about the camp. They paid 
no particular attention to Ed ; and I know Ed gave them 
equally as little consideration. I doubt if he saw them 
as they hopped around. (These camp robbers resemble a 
large bluejay, excepting in action and disposition. They 
are a harmless bird, and spend their time cleaning up old 
camp sites and giving their touch to the beauty of the 
country.) Lunch time came; and Ed, doubtless, like the 
hunters, ate a piece of cheese and a bun. 

The huge shadows had fallen down the long eastern 
slopes of the mountains. From the north, east, south and 
west came tired hunters. They were dragging them- 
selves back to camp. 

"Hello, Hardy," shouted Percy, "I'm certainly glad to 
see you. There were times I had my doubts about it. I 
want to tell you that Shorty today 'got my mountain 
goat.' " Percy put his rifle down and took a seat on the 
ground. "I never was so tired in my life ; never have my 
feet hurt me so badly." 

"This isn't a place for a tender plant. Shorty, you 
must be careful with Percy," said Hardy grinning. 

"If you bane hungry, Percy, come and have a bowl of 
soup," said Ed sympathetically. 

Floyd had returned. He too was very tired and his 
face was equally as red as he was tired. 

"It's too bad about these tender plants ! Why, there's 



POUR DUDE HUNTERS. 121 

my friend, Floyd; look at that handsome blue-eyed boy. 
He is a trifle mussed now, a considerably like a woods- 
man and a roughneck, with his whiskers, but Percy, do 
you know that when he was a baby his mother was just 
bothered nearly to death by the neighbors wanting to bor- 
row her blue-eyed baby so that they could win a prize 
now and then at the baby show. He was, indeed, a hand- 
some baby boy. He is a regular mountain climber now. 
He's a little fat — yet up here he'll outgrow that, but 
he has been stepping along all day, nearly wore me to a 
frazzle, that he did," said Hardy, as he laughed a whole- 
some and healthy laugh, and so did the other dudes, 
while Floyd blushed slightly. 

We had dinner, although it was supper time in the 
mountains, and gathered around a campfire. 

**Joe, you seem to be smiling all over, what kind of luck 
did you have?" shouted a dude. Joe took from his pocket 
a pair of elk tusks. He passed them around and all of 
the party declared themselves as to their wonderfulness. 

"There wasn't very much to it, boys. Bill and I had 
been traveling most all day long. We had walked until 
three or four o'clock. I was getting terribly tired. He 
just says : 'there he is, Joe.' I pulled up and shot. The 
first shot I hit him. I fired three or four times and 
knocked him down, and that's about all there is to it. 
He didn't put up any fight and I just shot and killed him 
from about two hundred yards." 

Bill, upon being asked what luck, appeared slightly ir- 
ritable. He had traveled into the dense wood, the fallen 
timber, had gone through it, to the high mountain 
pockets, over the top, yet he had not seen anything to 
shoot at. Of course, all of the dudes told him to cheer 
up and he would very likely have another chance the next 
day, yet Bill was tired and started to bed. 

Joe told us, around the fire, that he was going to skin 
this elk and save the hide and have it tanned. Hardy 
then told us one of the best things elk hide was for was 



122 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

to "fix broken saddles and sech" in the mountains — that 
with elk hide you could fix anything if you knew just 
how to do it. 

"Percy," said Joe, "tell us what you did." 

"I think I wore about an inch off the bottom of my feet, 
fellows. My, they do hurt me." 

"Oh, quit your kicking, Percy," shouted Floyd, while 
Percy said that that was one thing he couldn't do. 

"Well, I'd rather go to bed, but if you must know, 
Shorty and I walked all over the mountains, and around 
the high peaks. We walked down ; I slid and tumbled, 
and rolled. After we got up about to the rimrock we 
saw a number of elk. We came within a very few yards 
of a number of elk. We stood behind a tree and watched 
them. There were cows stationed on each side and end. 
The herd was feeding along the side of the mountain, 
up near the rimrock. Near the center of the herd there 
was a bull. He was standing up feeling mighty proud to 
think he owned his large spread. He looked to me to be 
a very good six pointer. I took a very careful aim from 
a distance of one hundred and seventy-five yards, maybe, 
not so far, and shot. The sun was shining over the trees 
and made his sides very white looking against the moun- 
tain background. I saw a little red spot come out of the 
side of the bull immediately after I shot. I attempted to 
fire again and my gun jammed. The whole herd started 
to 'mill' and in a few moments they all disappeared from 
our sight. The bull at which I had shot laid his head 
back, resting his antlers over his body, and glided away. 
We went up to where we had seen the bull standing. 
There was a slight evidence of blood. We followed the 
track until it disappeared in the forest. I felt very badly 
about having carried such a light caliber gun. I dis- 
liked injuring the fine animal, yet, I suppose he is now 
grazing upon the far away mountain side." 

"Let us go to bed," shouted Joe. Everybody started 
slowly toward the sleeping tent. There lay Bill, sleep- 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 123 

ing peacefully, indeed, and soon were all of the other 
dudes. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

While the sun shone very brightly this morning the 
air was cold and crisp. The dudes had enjoyed a re- 
freshing sleep. They were ready to start on another 
hunt. 

Hurricane Bill had caught up two mules and the saddle 
horses for himself and his dude. They were going to 
bring in the meat they had bagged yesterday. 

**Come on, Hal," shouted Bill, ''let us try again today." 
Hal was feeling slightly irritated at their success. He 
was very anxious to give his dude a good shot at a bull, 
yet fate seemed to be against him. 

"Percy, aren't you going hunting today?" asked Floyd, 
as he and his guide passed the tepee of Shorty, where 
they found Percy stretched out on the pneumatic bed 
reading. 

"Oh, my, no. My feet simply won't carry me today, so, 
my friend, the whole mountain kingdom is yours." 

"Much obliged, Percy, I'll go out and use it," said 
Floyd as he and Hardy strolled off into the mountains. 

Oh, how quiet it was about camp after the dudes had 
left. Ed was busy in the cook tent, yet he made no noise. 
There were the mountains everywhere, and the dudes 
were somewhere in them, yet they, like the game, were 
out of sight. 

"Percy, oh, Percy!" cried Ed, "you bane able to eat 
some lunch?" And Percy limped into the cook tent, very 
much of the opinion that he was able to eat. 

"I bane hope Billy has some luck today. He bane a 
nice feller, but you know you have to have luck at every- 
thing." 



124 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

"And that's why Bill hasn't shot anything as of yet. 
Do you cook all of the time, Ed?" 

"Oh, no. I bane guide; horse wrangler, or cook. A 
feller up here in the mountains has to know how to do 
everything if he wants to keep busy. I bane busy 'most 
all time. Of course, some time there ain't much choice 
for me, yet, a feller out here, if he wants to work, and he 
bane any good, can generally keep busy." 

"Do you ever read any out here, Ed?" asked Percy. 

"Sometimes, but generally I bane too busy. There's 
always something to do. I suppose I better wash these 
dishes and start supper. When the boys come back 
they'll be very hungry — and that for certain. I believe 
I bane chop some wood; it is a pity these roughnecks 
never get time to chop wood ; they always bane so full 
of wild stories." So Ed took the ax and chopped wood 
while Percy returned to his book. 

What a wonderful day it was. How refreshing was 
the air! 

"Powder River ! Wapiti !" awakened Percy, who had 
gone to sleep over a novel which Bill had brought with 
him from the city. 

"What luck, Floyd?" 

"Oh, I got a big five-pointer." 

"And aren't those some fine tusks!" said Percy as he 
stretched himself. 

"You've a job for tomorrow." 

"Look," cried Floyd, "here come Joe and Hurricane 
with their meat. We certainly have enough meat." 
Percy added that they had been out all day, expressing 
his desire to know what had kept them so long in the 
mountains. 

"For God's sake, fellows," shouted Joe, as he ap- 
proached his companions, "don't ever take the short way 
home. Bill and I certainly have been in a lot of trouble. 
We thought that we could cut across a mountain this 
morning and save a few hours time. We cut across, and 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 125 

got into a lot of fallen timber. We have spent nearly all 
day coming back, this short way of Bill's. It is a wonder- 
ful trail." 

**You fellers bane better get ready for your supper, as 
it bane ready for you," said Ed, after sticking his head out 
of the cook tent. 

Bill and Hal came in for supper. They were very tired, 
yet very well pleased over their day. 

**Bill, tell us how you got the bob cat," shouted one of 
the dudes as he found a comfortable place around the 
campfire. 

"Well, fellows, I'm mighty tired. I've had one of the 
longest tramps imaginable. The bob cat is too small. I 
want a big six-point bull, or a grizzly bear; and I don't 
care to tell about the bob cat any more than if I had 
killed a chipmunk." And dude Bill upon so declaring 
himself stood up by the fire and warmed his hands and 
back. 

"And what did Floyd do?" asked Bill. 

"Well, Bill," said another dude, "here are some new 
tusks of Floyd's; how do you like them?" 

"Why, they are almost as good as his other pair." 

"This matter of getting bull elk — well, Bill," said Floyd, 
laughing, and rather twitting Bill for his ill luck, "it is 
a simple little matter; all you have to do is to go out in 
the mountains and shoot them. If you don't knock them 
down the first time simply shoot them again ; that^'s all. 
That's the way to do it. Bill. Try it on the next one you 
meet, and he will be your meat." 

All of our party vowed that Floyd had the right idea, 
and being so thoroughly agreed we went to bed. 



125 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

CHAPTER XX. 

The dudes were satisfied. They had gone into the far 
away mountains and bagged the big game. On every 
tree of any size about camp hung fresh meat. We spent 
the morning jerking it and hanging it over the smudge 
fire. Of course all of the meat had to be brought in, and 
that was another job for the dude who had meat in the 
mountains. 

We spent two days in and about camp, preparing our 
fresh meat and resting. During this time we posed for a 
picture, which Bill desired, showing some of our trophies. 

"Well, fellows, I rather dislike to think I haven't any- 
thing of value yet, but I am sure my luck will change," 
said Bill sadly after he viewed our various prizes. 

''Yee Whiz, Bill," shouted Ed, "you will get the best 
one yet. It is just that way sometimes. You can't tell 
about a feller's luck." After Ed had finished giving Bill 
this consolation he returned to his work. He came out 
of the cook tent and made a very pleasant announce- 
ment. 

"There is always one good thing about a fellow loaf- 
ing 'bout camp," said Ed, "he is regular for his meals." 
The dudes, notwithstanding the fact that they had been 
resting, were ready for dinner. They ate heartily, and 
spent the afternoon reading, and by six o'clock were 
again ready to eat. 

Dude Bill and Hal came in with their fresh meat. 

"Did you ever break trail?" inquired Shorty of Hardy, 
after we had gathered around our campfire. 

"I broke trail once so much I actually got snow blind. 
It is awful to be snow blind. Your eyes get granulated, 
simply blistered from the light, and oh, how they pain 
you. It takes two or three weeks for them to get well. 
That certainly is hell." 

"What do you mean by breaking trail?" asked dude 
Bill. He was told that sometimes in the mountains a 




M 



a 



o 

r. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 127 

party would be caught in the snow — a heavy snow storm, 
and that it would be necessary to go ahead of the pack 
train and stamp the snow down so that the horses and 
mules could pass over it. 

"Say, boy, that must be a job. I believe I had a little 
rather be at home in my warm living room than out 
breaking trail." 

"Shorty," spoke one of the dudes, "did you know that 
fellow Gates, millionaire Gates, Charley Gates, who came 
out here?" 

Shorty told us that he was well acquainted with Mr. 
Gates. In fact, he was the horse wrangler upon the trip 
of Mr. Gates. 

"That was some party that Charley Gates put on out 
here ; he took this very trip. It cost him about eight 
thousand dollars and he didn't get a grizzly and then 
he died in Cody right afterwards. He was a mighty 
liberal man — mighty good to his guides. Of course, he 
could easily afford to be that way — he had so much 
money ; yet, with Mr. Gates, it wasn't so much the money, 
he was just as human as anybody, and a good fellow to 
boot. After he got back to Cody, the church people were 
all waiting for him, and had he lived long enough, I 
think he would have paid all of the debts of all of the 
churches, yet he wasn't a sanctified Bible backed dude — 
he was a real sport. I enjoyed being out with him." 

"When Hurricane Bill and I were out today, I saw a 
porcupine ; they are certainly a queer looking animal." 

"Did you shoot it?" asked a dude. 

"No, indeed! He wasn't bothering me, and I didn't 
care to disturb him, so I left him alone. He was so slow 
you could have taken a stick and killed him." Joe also 
said that he had seen quite a number of grouse, and that 
they were so tame, and so much like chicken he had left 
them alone. 



128 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

CHAPTER XXL 

The end of another perfect day had come to the dudes. 
The camp work had been done. The dudes, their guides, 
and the cook, had gathered around the open fire. They 
were smoking, thinking, and warming themselves. 

"Oh, but that Billy, he bane a long walker," said Ed, 
as he stood up before the fire to stretch and warm his 
hands. "I like to hunt, and guide for Billy, but to walk 
all day, as he has, in a pair of shoes without any spikes, 
it bane awful, it bane. We didn't see anything but coun- 
try. Billy he just keep on walking; and walking, and I 
keeps on walking. Finally I say, 'Billy, don't you bane 
tired? He say that maybe we bane rest; and then we 
sat down. We ate lunch, and then he strikes out again, 
and we bane walking ever since. I bane mighty tired, 
I bane I tank Billy and I ought to bane see a lot of game 
but we didn't." And dude Bill smiled to think he had 
made Ed tired. 

"Floyd, have you bane in luck?" Ed said, grunting as 
if he were very tired. 

"Hardy and I saw about twelve elk, and one very large 
bull. He was a big six-pointer. He was up high ; the 
whole herd were standing in a huge snow bank when we 
saw them, the bull and all of them. I thought Hardy was 
going to shoot him. He raised his gun, and acted that 
way, and I didn't shoot; and in that way the bull got 
away. Hardy finally shot, but by that time it was too 
late, yet I thought he got him going over the mountain. 
His gun jammed the first time, and then he didn't have a 
very good shot. I could have shot him, if — " 

"If he hadn't gotten away — say, boys, where's that lit- 
tle dog? Is he out here in the mountains?" shouted Bill, 
as he whistled for "the dog." Bill was assured that the 
same little old dog was often heard of in the mountains. 

"Say, Percy," said Floyd, "I see you are scraping on a 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 129 

new pair of teeth. Suppose you were lucky enough to 
kill another elk?" 

"That I did, Floyd, and all by myself," Percy answered, 
while Joe said he would like to know how it all happened. 

"Shorty and I had traveled all day long. I was very 
tired. We had gone up the creek, and the mountain, 
where I killed the grizzly. We had crawled around first 
one precipice and then another. We climbed down a rim 
rock wall, the steepest I have ever attempted. When I 
got to the bottom Shorty had another trip all planned out, 
while I had decided if I ever got to the bottom I would 
at least sit down and rest, so I told Shorty of my dis- 
position. 'All right,' said he, 'just sit down and rest and 
then take that game trail back to camp, while I climb 
up in a couple more high pockets, and if I find any bulls 
ril tell you about it and we can go there tomorrow.' So 
Shorty walked off and left me sitting on a big rock. I 
sat there and rubbed my arm, took off my shoes and 
rubbed my feet and got all ready to go again, but was 
feeling so tired I just sat there. I saw a number of pretty 
little flowers, growing near me, so I picked some of them, 
and sat down and examined them very carefully. They 
were very pretty flowers. I fooled around, and then I 
found a comfortable place and laid down on the side of 
the mountain to rest. I don't know whether I went to 
sleep or not. Finally I decided that I believed it was 
time for me to limp on down the trail, so as to get in in 
time for supper, so I just strolled along. I had come to 
some fallen timber and was climbing slowly over it. 
Right ahead of me I saw a bull elk bound. I jumped over 
a log, took a few quick steps, slipped and fell. I stopped 
rolling shortly and decided that I hadn't lost that bull. 
1 sat down on the side of the mountain to pick something 
out of my hand. Upon looking up I saw a bull elk — it 
must have been another bull — he was standing over on 
the other mountain about two hundred yards away, rub- 
bing his horns against a tree. Now, boys, did you ever 



130 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

see such insistency on part of the animal kingdom to put 
themselves out for me? (And everybody vowed that I 
was as lucky as I was tired.) So I leaned back against 
the mountain side and took aim. I fired. The elk didn't 
appear to care much. The wind was blowing toward me, 
and, being on the other mountain, he didn't wind, or see, 
me. I emptied my automatic, reloading and fired again. 
Still the bull stood there. I was so far away that I 
couldn't tell whether I was striking the mountain or hit- 
ting the bull. I concluded I had better walk on over to 
where the bull was and, perhaps, I would have a better 
shot. As I started the bull started slowly to walk up the 
mountain side. I ran down my side of the mountain and 
came to a place where I thought I could jump across the 
creek. I jumped into the middle of the creek, slipped 
and rolled over in it. I climbed on up the mountain, 
toward where the bull had stood. I was beginning to be 
of the notion that I didn't have any particular liking for 
that bull, yet I had fallen in the creek, had a good wetting, 
so I climbed on. After climbing a few hundred yards up, 
I saw the bull standing high, upon the edge of a big 
boulder. I fired and down he tumbled and rolled on 
down to where I was standing. I stepped over and up to 
where he lay, thinking I would bleed him. He looked as 
if he were coming at me, so I made a stab and a cut for 
his throat." 

*'And you should have seen that slash, boys! Percy, 
nearly cut his head off," said Shorty, laughing. 

"Well," said Percy, "I was all alone, and I wanted to 
be sure he was dead. I whistled for Shorty, sat down 
and dug his tusks out. After I had rested. Shorty came 
up and we prepared the elk." 

"Ready, dudes, sing," shouted Floyd, as he stood up 
and led sonorously, the tune, which has been often men- 
tioned, suggesting something about not doubting the 
honest word of the dude, yet, could not tolerate his 
"kybosh," whatever that is or was. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 131 

''Say, Bill, dude Bill," shouted Shorty's dude, "when 
are you dudes going to take a bath?" 

"Well, sir, I've had a number," said Bill slightly irri- 
tated. 

And the dudes, for some reason, doubtless for good 
fellowship, yet maybe for other reasons, sang again the 
old refrain, and again suggested that the honest word 
of the dude was not doubted, yet his "kybosh" didn't go 
here. 

Floyd must have been converted by the song as he 
said he would certainly take one tomorrow, while an- 
other dude vowed he was going to take one even if he 
had first to melt the snow or ice with the heat of his own 
body. Oh, how very rash it is to make a promise of this 
kind in the mountains! For by tomorrow the storms 
came. The wind grew icy, and the mountains were cov- 
ered with snow. Yet there was the promise! 



CHAPTER XXII. 

The cold whirling snow of the equinoctial storm was 
being driven before a howling blast which swept down 
the mountain side. We were in the midst of what looked 
to be real winter. It was some time before the dudes 
aroused themselves from their slumber and shook from 
their beds the cold snow which had blown in under the 
sides of their tent, yet one by one they did, all forgetting 
the promise of the night before. All day long winter 
reigned sublime. 

Shorty and his dude rode into the nearby mountain and 
brought in their fresh meat. What a sight it was when 
we reached the place where our meat lay. Everything 
was still, cold and covered with snow. The elk was cold 
and stiff. We quartered it and tied the meat onto the 
backs of our pack animals and rode back to camp. 



132 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

A pitch game had been started. Everybody stood or 
sat around a long log table and awaited what the wheels 
of chance had in store for them. The disagreeable day 
was forgotten and the dudes made merry at their game. 

We were now laden with meat and trophies. We were 
ready to start back to civilization and our various pur- 
suits. 

Morning came. Oh, how wonderful, a morning in the 
snowy mountains, after the storm. How comforting the 
sun, as it appeared to beam from heaven itself, warming 
everything and everybody, rapidly driving away the 
snow. The mountain stream ran merrily along over its 
rocky bottom, giving its cheer as we prepared to say 
good-bye to this mountain kingdom. 

Our tents were taken down, rolled and packed. In- 
stead of supplies we had with us a large quantity of fresh 
elk meat and a great deal of jerked meat. We had room 
for everything and each mule and horse had an equal load. 

The dudes were all very particular to see that their re- 
spective trophies were packed and not forgotten, especially 
one of the dudes. Oh, how careful he was about a certain 
old grizzly hide. 

We rode back down the creek, through the deer and elk 
parks and around various mountains. On our way we saw a 
grouse sitting demurely in a spruce tree about a hundred 
yards to our right. 

"Here, Percy ! Hold my horse. I have been wanting to 
shoot a grouse for some time," whispered Joe, as he got off 
of his horse and pulled his high power thirty-thirty Win- 
chester from its scabbard. 

The pack train walked on, while Joe and I remained. 
Joe walked a few paces from where I remained holding his 
horse, raised his gun, took aim and fired. The grouse was 
decapitated. Joe walked over to where it had fallen and 
picked up the head and grouse. He brought both back. 
From all appearances the head had been cut off with a 
hatchet or a knife at the small portion of the neck. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 133 

(And now my dear friend Joe is in the army — doubtless 
somewhere in France, with many, many other such Amer- 
ican marksmen.) 

We rode on and camped where we had previously, upon 
the north prong of Mountain Creek. The next day we 
packed on, following the same trail over which we had rid- 
den in the beginning, and camped at what is commonly 
called Hawk's Rest. Here we pitched our tents — on the 
side of the mountain overlooking a vast stretch of flat coun- 
try, through which the Yellowstone River wound its way. 

Bridger Lake lay about fifteen or twenty minutes' walk 
ahead of us. The country surrounding this lake is wet and 
marshy. It is a disagreeable place to camp, so we camped 
under Hawk's Rest. Near our camp was a spring of cold 
pure water. It bubbled up out of the mountain side and 
then flowed on to the sea. 

''Come on, boys, let's go fishing," shouted dude Bill, al- 
ready armed with rod and reel. So the dudes and Hurri- 
cane Bill hurried away to the lake, while the other guides 
and the cook remained for camp work. 

Bridger Lake is a sloughy body of water. It is full of 
fish. The dudes soon caught all of the fish (trout weighing 
from two to four pounds) on hook and line they felt dis- 
posed to carry back to camp. 

''What are you going to do with those fish?" shouted 
Shorty to one of the fishermen who approached camp, very 
much elated over his catch. Shorty was told by the dude 
that he expected to clean them so we could have a fish din- 
ner. 

"You'd better examine the backbone of those fish first," 
added Shorty, smiling as if he possessed a superior knowl- 
edge of something important which he did not care to con- 
vey instantly. 

We examined the fish and found to our sorrow that prac- 
tically all of these fish were suffering from worms. Evi- 
dently they had a worm disease. These worms were found 
in the back of the fish, very close to the backbone. In this 



134 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

position of the body of the fish the worm would sap the 
vitality of the fish until the flesh of the fish had become soft 
and mushy. Of course, these fish were unfit to eat. We 
had to bury them. 

''Now, wouldn't that spoil your taste for a fish supper?" 
said Joe, looking very disgusted. And it did. 

There were a number of reasons given for these wormy 
fish. One, which appears reasonable, is that in this lake, as 
well as a great many of the other mountain lakes, there are 
hot springs. In this water the fish become sluggish and 
through their inactivity become wormy. Another reason 
given by some of the natives is that these fish in these 
mountain lakes feed from the fallings of pelicans, and from 
this falling there matures a worm which eats into the fish. 

A few hundred yards from our camp was the camp of the 
game warden. He visited our camp and examined our 
trophies. He was a tall and lanky personage, and as pleas- 
ant as he was both tall and lanky. At the time he visited 
our camp he was out ot fresh meat, so we had the pleasure 
of contributing to his sustenance a hind quarter of fresh elk 
meat. The game warden, commonly called ''Dick," was 
spending his time on the hunting ground, according to the 
law of the state, where he had an opportunity to see the 
various hunters and what they killed. He had a little, short- 
legged deputy with him, who carried more of the official 
personality than the warden himself on his short legs, one 
of them shorter than the other. The game warden very 
quickly became acquainted with all of the members of the 
party, and, of course, all of the dudes and guides, as well 
as our cook, who had long been his personal friend, called 
him by his first name. 

'Dick, the game warden, being so full of good fellowship, 
which was his inborn nature rather than the overflow of the 
bottle or selfishness, accepted our invitation to take dinner 
with us, after having thanked us and apologized for his 
coming in on us so unexpectedly — which, of course, as he 
put it, was not for the dinner or to see the trophies of- 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 135 

ficially, but, as I shall put it, to associate with his friends 
and to take a look at the dudes. What curious individuals 
we dudes must have been. 

While we were being entertained by the game warden we 
had several changes of weather, developing from a pleasant 
day to a snowstorm; yet the pleasant day nor the snow- 
storm could possibly interfere with our dinner party. 

Ed was very busy. In fact, he was the busiest man about 
camp. We were to be honored with the presence of the 
game warden and his deputy. This was indeed one of the 
social events of the community. In fact, all of the known 
inhabitants of the community were to dine together. 

"For the love of Gawd ! How's Ed," expostulated an old 
grizzly face, which possessed a long ragged gray mustache 
and a slouch hat over one eye. 

" 'Lo, Dick," said Ed, "you bane in time for supper. I 
bane glad to see you. Come in." And in stepped a raw- 
boned, rangy man of the West. He was tall and weather 
beaten. He might have been younger, yet he looked to be 
at least fifty-seven years of age. He wore chaps, boots and 
spurs, a flannel shirt and a vest, besides his slouch hat. Ed 
stopped cooking a moment and introduced his friend Dick 
to the dudes, adding that we had all better put ourselves in 
shape for dinner. 

Further acquaintance with this newly-made friend re- 
vealed the fact that he was cowpuncher, or horse wrangler, 
for what we were told to be the Hollister Outfit, and that 
his horses had strayed so far from camp that his party had 
returned, on borrowed stock, leaving the said Dick to find 
the wandering horses. Of course, he had a "pardner," and 
he, too, was most cordially invited for dinner. 

My ! what open-hearted, frank people these men of the 
West really are. No previous arrangements had to be made 
before an invitation to dinner could be extended. It was 
simply : "Here, Dick, or Jim, or Joe, have a bowl of soup, 
some fresh elk meat, a cut of tenderloin ; have some more 
beans; more bread — why, we have plenty of bread, and 



136 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

butter, too; help yourself to another cup of coffee; have 
another helping of potatoes and onions — here, boys, sliced 
pineapple for dessert. We have plenty of everything, so 
enjoy yourself and feed well." And so our dinner was 
served. What we lacked in style we made up in companion- 
ship and goodfellowship. 

The cook tent, our banquet hall, was illuminated from a 
number of candles, which were sticking upon various boxes 
by virtue of their own wax. They threw a soft yellow light 
over the rough and bearded faces of both cowpuncher and 
dude alike; and while our dinner was not served in a blaze 
of splendor, yet we had plenty of everything — good, whole- 
some food and as much Wapiti society. 

"Say, fellers," shouted Rangy Diick, "1 found something 
in my pack which may add to the s-u-m-p-t-u-o-u-s-n-e-s-s 
of this magnificent occasion," And the "sumptuousness of 
this magnificent occasion" slipped from his lips with the 
same ease and grace as he produced from under his coat 
something in the shape of a bottle and yet more in the size 
of a jug. He told us very eloquently, indeed, that we, as a 
token of our friendship, should ''touch our lips to it." Of 
course, there was no one present who really enjoyed drink- 
ing red liquor, yet, under the circumstances, it was a per- 
sonal privilege, or, rather, from the action of the various 
parties, it so appeared, to partake of the hospitality of 
Rangy Dick. 

''Joe," said Ed, after having had the said "wee touch," 
"have some more elk meat? Boys, won't you have some- 
thing else ? Well, I yudge you not bane hungry," 

"Say, fellers," inquired a certain rangy individual, rather 
bashfully, "would it be ag'in your religion to start a poker 
game? The weather out is awful. How about a poker 
game?" 

Nione of the dudes, of course, knew how to play poker ; 
and I have never met many men who really thought they 
could — at least, they never, I dare venture, reached the age 
of maturity and still possessed that notion — yet when poker 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 137 

was suggested nobody started to run away. In fact, the 
table was cleared as if by magic, cards and chips produced. 
Someone was the banker, or at least acted like a banker — 
he giving out, taking in and serving everybody, yet not put- 
ting in himself — and in a few moments those who enjoyed 
the game had an opportunity to delve into their pleasure 
to the fullest extent — and if they stayed long in the game, I 
would suggest that they could go equally as deep into their 
pockets; and those who didn't care much about it, but, un- 
der the circumstances and the awful weather, or some other 
handy excuse, w-o-u-l-d s-i-t i-n, could go equally as deep 
into their pleasure, or pockets either, on the command of 
the game, stud poker. 

The game, like the storm, proceeded with fury, yet the 
interest of the game hushed the moaning of the storm to the 
ears of the players and bystanders. The keen-eyed players 
awaited patiently what fortune had in store for them. Some 
of them, and I will not mention any names, either — for 
who would like to be pointed out as a loser? — waited 
longer than others. And I may now suggest, for the pur- 
pose of bringing to my friends a true account of our trip, 
that the cold gray dawn of another day, all snowy, damp 
and cold, could have found the game in progress ; yet the 
dudes, being used to going to bed early, and unaccustomed 
to the late hours of Wapiti society, went to bed long before 
the old gray horse was staked, or that pair of spurs, or the 
saddle I won at the bucking contest, or what not; yet suf- 
ficient here to say that all of the participators in the pleas- 
ure were found the next day very much alive at breakfast, 
enjoying the same goodfellowship as of the night before. 
It was with some difficulty that I learned who had really 
covered himself with glory in the game. Nobody cared onv-^ 
way or the other. At least they never said anything about 
it. The game was a good one, fairly played, and, from the 
interest manifested, very enjoyable, so what cared the men 
of the West for the winnings or who possessed them ! 



138 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

The clouds were hovering around the mountain peaks. 
They had filled the upper portion of the valley and were 
now frowning upon us and the rest of the world. The air 
was filled with moisture. It was cold and penetrating. 

"Well, fellows, good weather or bad, I'm going to try 
hunting again," shouted Bill, as he wiped the frost from 
his Remington Automatic. ''Come on, Hal. Let us go into 
the mountains. I expect to find my elk today. The snow 
may help us in tracking a big bull." So Hal and his dude 
saddled their horses and started out. 

Hardy and Shorty believed they would take a stroll up 
the creek, suggesting that they might find the lost horses, 
while Floyd, Joe and Percy decided that they would go 
fishing in Yellowstone River. 

The weather was not very good for fishing; and while 
I have fished a great many times and under various climatic 
conditions, I have seldom found the weather just right; yet 
the remaining dudes shouldered their fishing rods and 
started for the windings of the cold, clear Yellowstone 
River. 

It was rather interesting to watch the three anglers. Isn't 
it wonderful how many, many things a person can learn on 
a farm ? There was Joe ; he could cast without any particu- 
lar previous training. I think it came natural to him from 
driving a team or four horses — ^the cracking of his whip — 
for, oh, so nicely and precisely, too, could he cast his fly into 
the desired pool. And after he found he could do it with 
such accuracy, how intense he was in his sport! Floyd, at 
first, started to use his casting rod very much as if it were a 
fishing pole, and very shortly succeeded in catching himself 
in the seat of his trousers ; yet he, being very quick to learn, 
soon acquired the art to some degree of proficiency. Oh, 
how carefully did the fishermen slide around through the 
willows, slipping up behind the banks and clumps of grass, 
or a tree stump ; sometimes crawling on hands or knees or 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 139 

stomach. From the desired position the angler would cast 
his fly. Often the trout could be seen as he darted for the 
lure of the fly. The fisherman will inevitably smile as he, 
with his cunning art — or what he thinks to be cunning art — 
reels in, and oh, how carefully, too, a two to four-pound 
trout. By four o'clock we caught all of the trout we desired 
and returned to camp. 

"Let's start a pitch game. I believe a pitch game will go 
better than fishing in the snow," said one of the dudes. 
Hurricane Bill beHeved he would sit in, and so did Floyd, 
Joe and Percy. The game progressed pleasantly. One of 
the dudes announced sonorously that he would bid four, 
when suddenly the music of a -feminine voice — it sounded 
very soft, sweet and alluring, I dare say, to the dudes, as it 
was a sound they had not heard since their departure — 
floated into their midst. 

"Isn't this the dude party of Mr. Shorty Kelly?" asked the 
pleasant voice of Hardy, who was very busy at the time 
chopping wood, to the tune of a "cuss word song." Mr. 
Hardy Shull had his back turned toward a mounted dudine. 
He stopped abruptly, and before his rhyming chant had 
caused him to blunder socially he turned, placed his hand 
over his mouth, as if he were laboring to hold in that which 
was about to slip out. 

"Yes, mum," Hardy answered, endeavoring to hide an 
embarrassed grin with his large, well-tanned arm. 

"I've been told," said the dudine, apologetically for her 
call, "that his dude killed a grizzly bear. Would it be ask- 
ing too much to see his bear skin?" 

"No, mum," said Hardy, pleasantly. It was with a con- 
siderable pride that he uncovered the king of all trophies. 

At this particular moment the dudes had become too inter- 
ested in the possessor of the velvety voice to carry on their 
game, so they each found a peep hole in the side of the 
tent and viewed the affair with that degree of curiosity 
which some neighbors often view the caller of another 



140 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

neighbor, who, well meaning, of course, has, unknown to 
the other neighbors, called the second time. 

"Think of it!" cried a Mr. Dude, as he smiled and looked 
out into the snowy air through a convenient hole in the tent. 
"It is indeed too much. Yet, if she desires to see my bear 
skin (and when the dude said bear skin he acted mightily as 
if he meant bare skin) Hardy will be kind enough to show 
her the grizzly pelt." 

"We have an invitation to dinner tomorrow," spoke an 
enthusiastic dude. "An invitation to what?" laughed an- 
other. "An invitation to see her trophies !" emphasized the 
other, while the dudes smiled and looked knowingly at each 
other, and the dudine and her two daughters (one possibly 
nine years of age, the other twelve) rode away, after having 
thanked Hardy for his kindness, leaving the said Mr. Hardy 
ShuU and the rest of his party in a high state of embarrass- 
ment. 

The arrival of the little mother in khaki and her two 
daughters broke up the pitch game. The dude who had of- 
fered to bid four lost his chance forever of, as he put it, 
"shooting the moon." Of course, he had a thing or two 
to say about the dudine and her untimely call, while an- 
other vowed that she surely was his guardian angel. 

"You dudes had better bane ready for your supper," 
shouted Ed slowly, as he looked about and saw the dudes 
still in a state of amazement. The dudes being ready (and 
I dare say had been ready for supper since they had fin- 
ished their lunch, which was the usual kind of a bun and a 
slice of elk meat), started on a hot bowl of soup. 

"I don't believe I would enjoy hunting in the snow very 
much today. I'll wager it is awful to tramp around in the 
mountains today. I'll wager, if Bill don't run onto a big 
bull or something, he will be one sore dude," spoke one of 
the dudes, as he filled his plate with fish and elk meat, beans 
and potatoes. Another dude reasoned that he didn't think 
it would make much difference whether he ran onto some- 
thing or not; that he would be very sore anyhow — far 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 141 

more, of course, from action than disposition ; while an- 
other said that he felt Bill would be successful as he had 
generally found it to be that where a person worked, ov 
played, intensely, he would be successful. 

"POWDER RIVER! WAPITI," shouted a familial 
voice. 

*'Why, there bane Billy now," shouted Ed, smiling as if 
he was very glad to have his friend Billy safe in camp. 

"That sounds like he has killed an elk, or a bear," spoke 
one of the dudes excitedly. 

All of the dudes left their supper and rushed to welcome 
their companion. 

"You are right," shouted Bill faintly, "I got my bull today. 
I'm certainly glad I'm here. We have had a day of it." 

"Billy, you bane hungry. You had better pitch in. These 
roughnecks will get the better of you. Yee whizz, but I'm 
glad to see you, Billy. Here, Billy, have a bowl of soup. 
We have fresh rainbow trout and elk tenderloin ; what will 
you have?" Bill's pleasure was a considerable of everything. 

After dinner the dudes and their guides, and Ed, gathered 
around a large campfire. They lay stretched upon the 
ground, which was covered with snow. 

"Boys, I'm all in. I don't believe I was as tired in all of 
my life. This campfire certainly is a joy," said Bill, as he 
produced for our examination a large pair of elk tusks. 
They were a beautiful pair, an>d richly marked. From their 
appearance one could readily understand that they had 
lecently belonged to an old bull elk ; and this was the declar- 
ation of all of the party. 

"Say, Bill," said Joe, "did you kill him the first shot?" 

"No," answered Bill, smiling, "it took eight shots to kill 
him. He was pretty badly shot up. The first shot was 
from the rear ; and then he turned. He wasn't so far away, 
about a hundred and fifty yards — and then it was blewie! 
blewie ! blewie ! He hesitated. I ran up closer, firing as I 
went; then he was knocked down. Hal, you tell them the 
rest. By goodness, I'm tired ; I want to get a smoke." 



142 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

"Well," said Hal, ''we rode nearly all day — we got back 
to where we had our permanent camp. We were over be- 
hind that big mountain across the creek and back of our 
permanent camp site. There I ran onto him. He is a right 
nice animal. His beam measured the length of my Win- 
chester. The only thing about it that is a job, is that it had 
to happen about four o'clock. We'll have to go back and 
get it in the morning, and believe me it is in one hard place 
to get to — right in the midst of a lot of fallen timber." 

"Say, fellows," remarked Bill, between the puffs of his 
cigar, "say we start back tomorrow. We want to fish at 
Eagle Creek, and we all have the limit, except me, and I can 
take a hike over into that portion of the hunting ground, 
called Canfield, and while I am hunting, you can fish for 
mountain trout." 

So it was decided. We were to move camp on the fol- 
lowing morning to what we were told to be Eagle Creek 
Falls, where trout fishing was the "best in the world," and 
Bill would have another chance for his second bull elk, 
or a bear or what not. 

"I'm so tired and worn out, who would like to go back 
for the meat tomorrow with Hal?" asked Bill. 

'T'll go," shouted Joe, "Hal and I will bring him in. We'll 
start about four or five o'clock, and in that way we'll over- 
take the pack." 

"Now, isn't that like Joe?" said Hurricane Bill. "That 
boy's a wonder — always ready to go. He doesn't say much, 
but when he has a job, well, it is Joe for it. Fellows, I 
wish you could have seen Joe butcher his elk. He knows 
how to butcher." 

"Yes," said Percy, "he appears to have learned something 
about everything on the farm — that's a great place to learn 
how to take care of yourself and be independent." 

"I want to tell you," interrupted Bill, as he stood with 
his back to the fire, warming himself, "today has been a 
dandy. There is a lot of difference between climbing moun- 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 143 

tains after a little snow than when they are all dry. It did 
make me work." 

**Well," said one of the guides, '4f you would have 
stayed in our permanent camp a day or so longer, we would 
not had so much work. We were in the best place in the 
world for elk, but you dudes wanted to move on." 

''That's always the case," replied a dude, "we are never 
satisfied with our location — yet Bill is now, so what care we, 
and besides, had we remained. Bill never would have had 
the pleasure of going back and tramping around the moun- 
tains so far from camp." 

"Hal," spoke Joe, "how many shots hit the elk?" 

"Six, six out of eight." Joe again repeated that that 
was the way to bag an elk — to shoot, and keep on shooting 
until he was down, adding that, of course, one shot might 
do it, but to make sure of not losing the fine animal, it 
would be well to keep on shooting until he was down. 

**Ed, you have been sitting there looking into the fire for 
some time. What are you thinking about?" spoke a dude. 

"Oh, I bane tanking, I bane. Yee whiz, it bane funny 
how a feller's mind wanders around — ha, ha — I bane tank- 
ing about — " 

"A love affair," interrupted Floyd, laughing, as he winked 
at another dude. 

"That I bane, Floyd — and a nice Swede girl she was, too. 
We were going to bane married. She said she loved me 
very much ; and I bane believe she did ; but I always bane 
such a harumscarum sort that one day I says, 'Nora, I don't 
bane of the notion we had better bane married,' so I pulled 
up and yump my yob and leave. She certainly bane a nice 
girl, though." 

"That certainly was an act of kindness to her," said one 
of the guides, "Ed, but it might have been the making of 
you." And Ed bane of the notion it might. 

"How did you happen out here in this country, Ed?" 
asked one of the dudes. 

"Well," said Ed, "It bane like this: you get to moving 



144 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

about, working; working here and there, and here I am— 
it bane a case of happen so, I guess. It was like this : one 
time, while I was working up there in the Dakotas — me and 
another fellow — we were going to town. We were on our 
way to a lumber camp for the winter. As we came to the 
railroad station there were two British officers. They spoke 
to us and asked us to go and fight forest fire, said that they 
wanted us to go to Nitchie, he would pay our way. Well, 
we bane tanking about it a few minutes, and then we started 
out. 

"Yee whiz! a forest fire is an awful thing. You can 
hear it roar for several miles. It seems to blow and roar 
all of the time. It burns everything up in front of it. It 
runs very rapidly. The way we fought it was to burn back, 
or cut down some trees, and try to make a path wide enough 
so that the fire would not yump it. We would go about 
ten miles ahead of the fire and then saw down timber or 
burn back. In this way, in a long time, we got it stopped. 

"After we were through fighting fire — well, we were 
about the only white people in the community. There were 
only these halfbreeds, French and Indian. While we were 
there a partner of mine — he was a sort of a wild man — and 
I thought we were going to have a considerable trouble with 
*ome of the natives up there. Well, one time we got into a 
saloon fight there — my partner and I — he took an old wagon 
spoke, and I grabbed off a bottle off the bar, and we cleaned 
up on the whole town. I thought we were in for it, but they 
only respected us; and after that they were the nicest kind 
of people to us. Just goes to show that every now and then 
you have to step right out and show who bane who, and 
why ; but just traveling' round, is about the way I bane here 
in this work." 

And so does the world often find useful work for many 
wanderers. 

The campfire died down. Bill was a-snoring in the dude 
tent, and one by one the dudes and guides tucked them- 
selves away in their wet and snowy blankets. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 145 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

The sixteenth day of September, 1917, again found us 
climbing to the top of the Continental Divide. After riding 
and walking to the top we had to go over and then down 
the trail which I have previously described ; and it was with 
a great deal of pleasure to the party to find ourselves safe 
en the other side. All of our party expressed our doubts 
of our ability to cross it in a heavy snowstorm, and just 
such a storm could be expected any time. 

As we rode on we passed any number of bear tracks. 
Some of these bear must certainly have been monsters, 
judging from the imprint of their feet in the snow. 

We packed on down the trail, it winding its way through 
the mountains, up and down, until we came to what we 
were told to be Eagle Creek Falls. Now, this is indeed a 
beautiful spot in the mountains. It is of a considerable 
altitude. Enough for the air to be cold and crisp. Our 
camp site was on the side of a high mountain, and along the 
side of it roared Eagle Creek Falls. Eagle Creek rises very 
near the Continental Divide, and at this point along its 
course it plunges down eight or nine falls, finally running 
into a lower valley, perhaps a quarter of a mile below ; 
thence it pursues its windings until it, reaches the Shoshone 
or Big Stinkum River. 

After our camp was pitched the dudes strolled about the 
mountains on a reconnoitering expedition. 

*Tsn't this wonderful," said Bill, as he steadied himself 
on the top of a huge boulder overlooking the falls; "and 
aren't these rocks cut and carved peculiarly." 

'They are that," said Hurricane Bill, as he came near. 
''Some of those cuts, of course, are made by nature, while 
others are made by man. I'm the man who made some of 
them." Of course, all of the dudes wanted to know further 
of what he had done here in the mountains, so he told us. 

"My goodness ! How time flies. It has been now nearly 
twenty years ago, a little more, I was prospecting out here 



146 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

in these mountains. My partner and I thought that we 
could change the stream of this creek and that in the bottom 
of that deep pool there, or the base of the fall, we could 
undoubtedly find a lot of gold. So we pitched into work 
and changed the course of the river through the rocks for 
the gold we supposed was at the bottom of the pool. We 
did all of this, but we didn't find any gold." 

The current here was about four feet wide by two feet 
deep, and it had cut its way straight through the rocks. 

The forests and mountains in and around Eagle Creek 
are a game preserve. 

"There is certainly fine fishing down below the falls," 
said Hurricane Bill. "You can go down there and catch 
all you will want in an hour or so, if you know how." 

''Let us go fishing," shouted dude Bill, so he and Floyd 
and Joe prepared themselves for trout fishing and started 
out. 

To reach the stream where the fishing was good from our 
camp site meant a hard climb down. It was necessary to 
walk down the ravine about a half a mile and then it was 
possible to climb down a wall of rock and in the course of 
nearly an hour one could land below ready to fish. 

Percy having noticed the long walk and steep climb, de- 
cided that the time never was better for a cold plunge in 
the creek ahead of the falls, so he put in the rest of the 
afternoon very profitably. 

'T wish those dudes would come on in for their supper," 
said Ed, as he stepped outside of the cook tent, "it bane 
ready for them." And I dare say the dudes were ready for 
their supper, yet they had gone fishing, down below, and the 
way up stood between them and their dinner. About an 
hour after dinner they came dragging themselves into camp, 
and were greeted with the usual good hunter's supper. 

"That dudine had a dandy camp," said one of the dudes, 
"but that's all I can say for her. You are right, my friend, 
we were only invited to see her trophies ; and some very good 
ones, too, she had — but what got me was when we saw 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 147 

where they were smoking those fish caught out of Bridger 
Lake. They certainly were nice looking fish." 

"Here, don't start anything about those Bridger Lake 
fish. Here, have some fresh trout!" 

Did you ever eat any fresh mountain trout? If you have, 
it is my opinion that you could enjoy one now, even two or 
three, or three or four, or a half dozen. We ate heartily 
of the sweetmeats of the wild, as well as the canned food 
from the low coimtries. 

"That dudine, by the way, fellows," said one of the dudes, 
"certainly had a nice camp — I am rather sorry she did not 
come out of her tent. I would have enjoyed seeing what 
sort of a person she really was. I hear you boys talking 
about her trophies, and all of that, yet I would like to know 
who she is, and why she is here in these mountains," spoke 
one of the dudes as he stretched himself before the camp- 
fire. 

"You might go back and see her," added another dude; 
and the inquisitor said that he wouldn't cross the divide for 
the dearest girl in the mountains, while another added : *'So 
be it." 

The next day soon came to the dudes. Bill and Hal had 
decided to take a trip on further to Canfield Creek, where 
hunting was permissible, while Shorty and his dude felt 
disposed to fish ; yet, of course, Shorty must round up the 
horses, so his dude climbed down to the creek far below, 
where he spent the day far from the voice of anyone, other 
than the voices of the forest and the monotonous discourse 
of the mountain stream. 

"Hello, Joe," shouted Percy as he returned from his day 
of solitude, "did you get over into Canfield Creek?" 

"Yes, but it was the worst trip I ever had. By the time 
we got there we had to start back; and besides, I wasn't 
hunting, anyway, just looking around. By the way, I lost 
my revolver. I had it strapped onto my saddle. We got 
into some of the worst fallen timber, just before you get to 



148 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

the top, and it got scraped off, so I have spent the day, 
Hurricane and I, without any protection of any kind." 

*'Well," said Percy, laughingly, "it didn't make any differ- 
ence; you didn't meet a grizzly, did you?" 

''No, we didn't meet anything — just had a hard trip; yet 
I am glad I went. The country was wonderful. The air 
was cold and crisp." 

And in a little while Floyd and his guide, and Bill and Hal 
came into camp. They were all fagged out. Floyd limped 
slightly, and at intervals could be seen rubbing his elbow. 

''Bill," asked Floyd, "did you have any luck in Canfield ?" 
as Floyd busied himself rubbing his knee. 

"Oh, we got to see some tracks. We saw the tracks of an 
old bull — he must have been a very old bull, and a big one, 
too ; his track was nearly as large as a moose track. I 
didn't get to see him. We had to go back just about the 
time we got to Canfield — it is so far away. Not so far 
away, either, yet the trip is very hard. I'm going again 
tomorrow and see that old bull — Fll be satisfied then." 

"Say, Hardy, what about spending the night in the moun- 
tains in Canfield?" inquired Bill. 

Hardy said that it was a fine idea, and that he would 
like to go along with him. It was readily agreed that Bill 
and Hardy could have the pleasure of spending a night alone 
in the mountains, so that they would be ready for a hunt 
early in the morning. 

"What's the matter with you, Floyd?" asked one of the 
dudes. Floyd told us that he had gotten into the worst 
places imaginable ; and that while he was climbing down the 
side of a mountain, shouldering himself down a small dry 
rivulet, he had slipped, slid and fallen; and that he would 
have gone on down, what he thought to be a mile or so, had 
he not struck a small rock shelf. 

"Oh, you will outgrow those bruises, Floyd. I thought 
at the time that we'd have to bring you back on a pack mule, 
but we didn't, and I think you are now a right live one," 
said Hardy. 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 149 

"Percy, did you catch any fish?" said Bill. Percy told 
his friends that he hadn't had any luck ; that he honestly 
believed he was not onto catching mountain trout. He also 
said that he had found the rock formation so intensely in- 
teresting and the trees, and the meanderings of the stream, 
that really he was very satisfied with his day, while some of 
the party remarked that he had spent a h 1 of a day. 

"Well, boys," said Bill, "I want to go over into the Can- 
field country again tomorrow. I'm awfully tired, but I 
want to take a look for that big bull. Say we go and spend 
the night and take an early morning hut?" 

"All right," shouted Hardy, "I will be glad to go with you, 
Bill, and we'll surely get that old bull, if Floyd doesn't 
want to take a trip." Floyd very promptly informed us that 
he already had all of the elk the law allowed him and that 
he preferred to show Percy how to catch mountain trout. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

The morning of September the nineteenth, 1917, found 
the dudes all pursuing their various sports with a consid- 
erable keenness. Bill and Hardy had already saddled their 
horses, and with a day's provisions, had gone toward the 
Canfield country. They could be seen leading their horses 
as they crossed a faraway mountain range. They were 
mere specks in the distance, notwithstanding the clearness 
of the atmosphere. Floyd, Joe and Percy could be observed 
v/alking happily down a game trail which led to the valley 
below. These dudes were armed with fishing rods and 
flies. Their revolvers and rifles had been unloaded and 
left at camp. They were too heavy to carry comfortably, 
anyhow, and then, besides, as we were on a game preserve, 
it would not have been proper; so, of course, they were 
left at camp. 

"Say, Hurricane," said Percy, confidentially, "I didn't 



150 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

have any luck yesterday fishing — tell me how you catch 
these Uttle fellows." 

''Well, Percy," said Hurricane, smilingly, "they are right 
sharp. You must have the 'savvy' to catch them. If you 
v/ill watch me a while you will very quickly learn. The first 
thing you want is to put on some small flies. Of course, 
you want a very light line. You don't need a sinker — if 
you think you must have one, in order to cast precisely, take 
a very small bullet — yet you will get along just as well 
without it. You have to slip up behind a tree or rock — do 
it very carefully ; and be sure you are on the side of the 
stream so the sun will not throw your shadow into the water 
— so that the fish will not see the shadow of your pole or 
line. You cast your flies over very carefully, being sure not 
to disturb the water, ahead of the pool where you expect 
to catch your trout — then draw your flies down the stream 
just a little faster than the current. When you get a strike, 
don't try to jerk the trout out, but simply, as the old colored 
man says: 'Just ease 'em out,' and do it, oh, so gently that 
>ou will not disturb the others. You must always bear in 
mind that if the trout see you they will not bite or strike 
until they are certain there is no danger. Just watch me 
for a while and you'll have no trouble, I'm sure." 

"Here, Joe," whispered Percy, as we approached the 
portion of the stream we thought good fishing, "take my 
waders. I'm going to watch Hurricane Bill a while." 

Joe took the waders and very shortly he was pulling the 
fish out ; sometimes he would get two on a single cast. He 
v/as indeed an expert, and lucky as well. Floyd was down 
the stream doing the same thing, and so was Hurricane Bill. 
After Joe caught quite a string Percy took the waders and 
then he began to catch them. 

"And to think that I couldn't catch any yesterday; why, 
the idea," chuckled Percy. "But it's like everything else: 
as Bill puts it, 'If you ain't got the savvy,' you can't catch 
any fish, or anything else, as far as that is concerned." 




H 

6 



Z 



c 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 151 

And this dude hid behind a big rock and continued casting, 
much to his delight. 

So the anglers spent the day. They were so intense that 
they forgot their lunch ; at least, I never saw any of them 
eating any of it. We had a wonderful day. Indeed, we 
were exceptionally fortunate. How we were blessed with 
this opportunity, the companionship, strength and courage 
for such pleasures. We all caught beautiful strings of 
trout. When the shades of evening had begun to fall — 
when the air was being cooled and chilled from lack of sun- 
shine, caused by it sinking behind the mountain tops — we 
started up what then appeared to be a long, long trail to 
our refuge in the high mountains. Isn't it inspiring to know 
that the campfire is burning for you after just such a day? 
And equally encouraging in life, so to live, that the camp- 
fire of your evening tide will be burning for your return 
after your day is done! 

"Boys," shouted one of the dudes, as he and the rest of 
the party stopped to regain their wind, after a climb, "I 
think I could spend the night here, if it wasn't my notion 
that dear old Ed 'bane waiting with a hot bowl of soup.' " 

Floyd laughed, and so did Joe and Hurricane; and then 
we trudged on, and sure enough when we arrived at camp 
we were so welcomed. 

''Joe, while the sun is reflecting here from that old moun- 
tain, let me take your picture with that string of trout," 
cried Floyd, as a man would who had thought of a bright 
idea. 

"Yee whiz ! You fellers bane hungry at all," shouted Ed. 

"But we want some fresh trout for supper," replied Floyd. 

"That we'll have, Floyd. Here, Ed, I've cleaned this 
string — they are ready for cooking," shouted another dude. 

"All right, boys; I'll cook the fish while you fishermen 
bane wash yourselves." 

My friends, you can imagine how we ate. I know you 
would have enjoyed supper with us tonight. Of course, it 
v/asn't served with much style, yet it was: "Have a hot 



152 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

bowl of soup? Very well, have another. All right, let me 
help you to some nice fresh trout? Also, permit me to 
serve you with a goodly portion of potatoes, onions and 
beans. I almost forgot something, let me help you to a 
nice cut of elk tenderloin? You will like it, it is well sea- 
soned and cooked to your taste. Here, pray help yourself 
to some hot bread. You will find the butter there on the 
box. Oh, yes, you have your butterknife in your hand — 
just stick it in that cask of butter. My, my! Did you 
leally have fish? I could hardly believe it. Of course, 
there is plenty more — here, two nice plump trout for you. 
Oh, yes, another cup of coffee — certainly. Will you have 
cream? There is the sugar. Just help yourself. Some 
more hot bread? Yes, it very quickly disappears. Here, 
have some more beans and potatoes. What? Don't care 
for any more ? Well, I have sliced pineapple for dessert, or 
peaches. What will your pleasure be? Pineapple? Well, 
have some peaches, too. Why, certainly, Ed has baked a 
cake. Here, have a slice of cake. Ed, that was thoughtful 
of you. Here, take another slice of cake so as to go with 
the peaches. Yes, indeed! We have cold water. Here 
is a whole bucket full. Here, hand my friend the gourd. 
Pardon me, please, I must have it back again ; you see, Bill 
also wants a drink. You'll have to excuse the number of 
dishes and cups, but you see in traveling through the moun- 
tains we can't take a hotel outfit with us. Now, did you 
enjoy your dinner? Well, here are some choice cigars. 
What? Don't care to smoke cigars? Very well — here are 
some nice cigarettes — or here is a fresh corncob pipe for 
you. Now, what kind of tobacco would you like? Indeed, 
here it is. Now, will you sit by the fire in the cook tent, 
or will you come out into our living room? Suit yourself, 
my friend. You will find the living room very large and 
roomy. You can warm yourself near a blazing fire." And 
so the world went in and about our camp. I might add, if 
my friend would be so gracious as to desire to spend the 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 153 

night with our party we would have had room for him, and 
he could suit himself as to his bedroom. For instance, he 
could sleep on a pile of rock, or sleep in Bill's bed on a pile 
of rock which had been thoroughly covered with spruce 
boughs ; and I dare say, if he awoke in time for breakfast 
— and I'm certain he would have, as the dudes would have 
attended to that — he would have found the same genial 
goodfellowship as of the night before. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

We had been smoking our fresh meat from time to time 
with a great deal of pains. It was practically cured. We 
had jerked enough so each dude could take four or five 
hundred pounds of it home with him. Today we were to 
put the finishing touch to its cure, so a smudge fire was built 
under the meat. It was packed the same as we had many 
times before. Our custom was to leave the camp and the 
jerked meat in the charge of Ed. He would keep the 
smudge burning. We were all very proud of the reward 
we expected to take back with us, and, doubtless, each dude 
had visions of going to his larder in the winter to come and 
taking from it a few more pounds of the jerked meat. I 
think the visions were so vivid and strong that the dudes 
could almost taste the meat and see the bright eyes of their 
friends as they would feast upon this rare food of the wild. 
So the camp was left to our dear old friend Ed today the 
same as usual. We knew he would protect anything we 
had. Why, hadn't we all given him our watches and money 
to keep for us? And wouldn't the whole stake have tempted 
some folk? Yes, very sorely, I venture, yet not our friend 
Ed. Of course not! Who couldn't trust that honest 
Swedish man? I say man because from my acquaintance 
with him I know him to be such. 



154 FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

We returned at the end of another perfect day of fishing 
and found the charred remains of our jerked meat. It was 
all destroyed. The smudge fire had blazed. Ed was busy 
in the cook tent. The meat had burned before he noticed it. 
He was nearly broken hearted over our loss. We all re- 
gretted it very much. 

"POWDER RIVER! WAPITI!" shouted a familiar 
voice from the nearby thicket. 

"There bane Billy — there he bane ! He's got another elk. 
Yee whizz, that's good," said Ed ; and through the timber 
and brush back of our camp we heard our friends approach. 
They rode up to camp, unsaddled and unpacked their meat, 
which Bill had killed in Canfield. Bill was very tired. He 
went to the river to wash. On his way he saw the ruin the 
smudge fire had made. 

"Now, don't that beat hell," said Bill seriously, "but such 
is life." And Bill went on to the river and washed. While 
there one of the other dudes told him how it happened. 

"And I know Ed is nearly broken hearted — well, well, 
he'll have to forget it. It is gone — we have lost it — so why 
lose more by worrying about it!" 

"Billy, I bane mighty glad you got another elk," said Ed, 
with a considerable sadness in his voice, "and mighty sorry 
the meat all burned." 

"Yes, Ed," shouted Bill; "I was in luck today — we have 
plenty of fresh meat. I got a good bull today, or rather 
yesterday. Here are the tusks." 

"They bane nice ones, Billy, they bane. They'll make a 
nice pair of hatpins for your wife." 

"Bill, tell us about it," shouted one of the dudes over his 
dinner. 

"Wait until I eat — why, I'm as hungry as a bear." 

We enjoyed another good dinner. We had plenty of 
everything and equally as good appetites. 

"Now, Bill," said Floyd, as we all sat around the camp- 
fire in our great living room, "tell us all about it." 

"Well, boys, you all know where Canfield is, don't you?" 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 155 

"Yes," shouted Percy; "as far as I'm concerned, it is 
somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. Where is it, Bill ? You 
will remember I haven't been over there." 

"Oh, yes, that's a fact. Bill ; we have a tender plant with 
us," said Hardy, and then he laughed, and by the campfire 
he nudged Floyd, who winked as if to say, "He is that," 
while Percy didn't care much what kind of a plant he was 
so long as his game license was full. 

"Well, Percy, you know that this Eagle Creek country 
is a game preserve? (And Percy said that he believed he 
had been so informed.) All you have to do is to cross over 
that mountain range over there, back of camp, over the 
top, so to speak, and you come to the Canfield country. On 
the other side of the Canfield country is the Yellowstone 
Park — which, of course, is another game preserve — so this 
country lying in between, in my opinion, is an extremely 
good place to hunt as it lies between the two preserves. 
Canfield creek is inaccessible from its mouth ; at least that's 
what Hardy says, and if he says so, I am inclined to believe 
it. If it is any worse than the entrance from the top of the 
ridge, I don't want to go that way ; and I don't blame any- 
body for not hunting elk there. We rode on, walking, 
climbing and leading our horses, from time to time, as we 
went. Our line of travel led us through fallen timber, over 
loose rock, and in almost every sort of jungle imaginable. 
Shortly after noon we reached the top of the ridge and 
rode into the Canfield country. After going a short dis- 
tance we tethered our horses, and walked on afoot. 

" 'There !' whispered Hardy. I looked up and saw the 
elk I thought I had seen the evening before — he was a big, 
fine animal. He must have thought we were other elk. We 
were surprised to see him walking leisurely towards us. I 
counted the prongs of his antlers. He had a big, heavy 
beam, but only five points. I wanted a six-pointer, but 
Hardy said that he would be as good as we could get, so I 
raised my rifle and fired. He turned and jumped as if 
something was wrong with him, and staggered back over a 



156 POUR DUDE HUNTERS. 

ridge. I thought surely he was mortally wounded, yet when 
we reached the other side, where we could have seen him, 
he had gone. He left a trail of blood, so I knew I had 
struck him. His trail led over fallen timber and through 
some of the worst kind of places. We had about given up 
locating him. Finally we came to a very large meadow. 
Hardy told me to go around to the other end of the meadow, 
and that possibly I would see him and get a shot. It took 
me about a half hour to get around to the other end; and 
when I got there I noticed through a few trees another 
large meadow. I decided to go over into this one and take 
a look. To my delight, when I got to the edge of the next 
meadow, I saw the same bull, about seventy-five feet away 
from me. I raised my rifle and fired. I wanted to make 
sure, so I fired again instantly and he fell. Hardy heard 
the shooting and came to my assistance. We then cleaned 
the bull and propped him open and left him to cool. He 
was a very large bull, weighing something over nine hun- 
dred pounds. I was, and am, slightly disappointed with his 
antlers. Yet, as you see there, boys, he is a reasonably 
good specimen." 

''Ready, fellows, sing," shouted Floyd ; and we dudes, and 
guides, too, as far as that was concerned, joined hands and 
sang an old-time tune, the words of which, while, of course, 
they never questioned the honest word of our friend, to say 
the least, were offered for our pleasure ; and when the 
mountains echoed with the grand amen, dude Bill started 
the song again, and with sonorous voices we all joined in. 
Everybody then found another comfortable spot by the fire. 

"Boys," said Bill, and then he took a long look into the 
fire, ''let me repeat again how I enjoy the campfire. Here 
we are alone in the mountains, yet of course the campfire 
and our friends have completely destroyed all signs of lone- 
liness. Still, I must confess, when I look out over the 
mountain tops, I am reminded of last night." 

"What about last night, Bill? Were the coyotes to the 
right of you ; grizzly bears to the left of you ; mountain lions 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 157 

behind you? And did they all roar and thunder? Say, Bill, 
what about last night ?" 

"It was a big night, and very interesting to me. After 
we had prepared our meat for cooling we tramped back 
and found our horses. We then began to look for a place 
to sleep. I was tired; never was so tired. We found a 
cut or a shelf in the rim rock. Here we built a big fire. 
Hardy cooked a little food, and after supper we stretched 
out for the night before the fire. We took a couple of 
blankets with us. Hardy gave me to understand that 
we could both go to sleep or he would keep watch a por- 
tion of the night, and I could do the same. So saying, 
and without further comment, he rolled up in his blanket 
and was soon sleeping as peacefully as a little child. How 
some folk would have envied his sleep ! He was so well ; 
so healthy ; so free from care, that he could lie down on 
the mountain side, and I dare say, if he were a dreamer, 
he could dream a grander dream than that of prince or 
potentate. Soon old Mr. and Mrs. Coyote started their 
yelling, and all sorts of weird sounds of the forest broke 
the stillness of the mountains. Hardy had the big end 
of the work to do. He was sleeping so peacefully that 
I did not have the heart to call him ! and then I was en- 
joying the night and many happy reminiscences. Oc- 
casionally I would feel the need of sleep and then I would 
hear a fiendish yell. I would unconsciously put my hand 
upon my automatic ; and th m, smile to think I had been 
so effected. When Hardy awoke, at the gray dawn of 
today, he swore jokingly at me for not having awakened 
him — but out there, alone in the mountains, I was pleas- 
antly entertained. In fancy I journeyed over the great 
chasms, and tipped the far and distant sky lines. I 
wondered what monsters lurked near me! and then, my 
mind wandered, drifting ever eastward, back to home ; 
my lovely wife ; to the homes of all of my friends ; and 
there, I could see, in the stillness of the night, the dear 
ones ever aw^aiting; and sometimes, I thought, anxiously 



158 



FOUR DUDE HUNTERS. 



too, for the return of their loved ones — and so ran the 
night. Boys, isn't our time nearly up? I fear I must 
hurry home. What say you? Say, we fish tomorrow; 
and then take the trail?" 

"Indeed," shouted one of the dudes, "it is a long, long 
trail, ever leading eastward. I'm ready to go, too ; aren't 
you?" 

"Yes, I'm ready," cried another, "but the worst of it 
all is to leave my friends — Hardy, Shorty, Hal, Ed, and 
Hurricane ; and then each ofte of the dudes. My heart is 
too full to say good-bye, so let us now say, goodnight; 
and I know the time will too soon come when we shall all 
have to say, good-bye." 




THE END. 



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